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VASCO 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(trade  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents 

LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roultt 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManu.- 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin. 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin. 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Rouici 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 
Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Qur  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C.  Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


L.  C.  PAGE    Sr   COMPANY 

New  England  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


VASCO    BARRETAS 


;^»^♦l|<r^r^rl»rl|t»r^i?'i'»JT»^♦J*r^♦l*'l»rl♦♦i*r^ 


VASCO 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 


H. 


By 

Lee  M. 


Pike 


Author  of  "  Our  Little  Korean  Cousin^'*  etc. 

Illustrated  by 
L.  J.  Bridgman 


Boston 


L.  C.  Page  &  Company 
Publishers 


y»A*, 


^4^^4^^4^4^4^4^4^4^4^^4^^^4^4^4^ 


Copyright,  igob 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


Fourth  Impression,  June,  1909 

Fifth  Impression,  June,  1910 


Co  Mv  potlier 


Preface 


Both  old  and  young  are  interested  in  the 
work  that  the  United  States  is  doing  on  the 
narrow  strip  of  land  connecting  North  and 
South  America,  —  digging  the  Panama  Canal, 
a  highway  for  the  nations.  The  country  is 
small,  but  the  work  is  a  great  one,  and  that 
little  spot  on  the  map  is  of  vastly  greater  inter- 
est to-day  than  many  a  land  of  larger  area. 

The  history  of  the  country  is  a  romantic 
one.  The  names  of  Balboa,  Pizarro,  and 
other  famous  Spanish  discoverers  are  closely 
linked  to  Panama,  and  readers  of  history  as 
well  as  lovers  of  adventure  are  not  likely  to 
forget  the  part  the  notorious  Morgan  and  his 
men  played  on  the  Isthmus. 


vi  Preface 

There  has  been  much  of  bloodshed,  cruelty, 
and  oppression  in  Panama's  history,  but  let 
us  hope  that  is  all  over.  The  example  of 
industry  and  persistent  perseverance  set  by 
Americans,  as  they  cut  away  mountains  and 
turn  great  rivers  into  new  channels,  ought  to 
be  a  source  of  inspiration  to  the  leisure-loving 
native.  And  such  seems  to  be  the  fact  to-day. 
Not  only  a  canal,  but  a  nation,  is  being  built. 
New  schools,  new  docks,  new  water-works, 
new  streets,  new  sanitary  measures,  give  evi- 
dence of  a  better  era  for  Panama. 

This  all  means  new  possibilities  for  our  little 
Panama  cousin.  As  his  young  American  and 
Enghsh  friends  read  about  him,  they  may  well 
believe  that  in  the  days  to  come  they  may  all 
stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  the  onward 
march  of  civilization  and  progress. 


Contents 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Happy  Days i 

II.    About  the  City 19 

III.  A  Trip  to  Old  Panama    ....       26 

IV.  Story  of  the  Buccaneers       ...      36 

V.     An  Earthquake 60 

VI.    A  Journey 71 

VII.     Culebra 81 

VIII.     Balboa 90 

IX.     Colon 96 

X.  Up  the  Chagres  River    ....     102 

XL  New  Ambition     .        .        .        .        ,        .115 


List  of  Illustrations 


-♦■ 


PAGS 


Vasco  Barretas Frontispiece 

Lieutenant  Amadeo  Barretas    ....  4 

A  Street  in  Panama 22 

The  Tower  of  the  Old  Cathedral  -        '        >  SS 
" '  That  scoop  will  dig  out  of  the  mountain 

a  ton  of  earth  at  a  time'"       ...  80 

A  Native  Village no 


VASCO 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 


CHAPTER   I. 

HAPPY     DAYS 

In  young  Vasco  Barretas,  who  had  both 
Spanish  and  Indian  blood  in  his  veins,  there 
had  been  born  a  natural  desire  for  excitement 
and  adventure. 

Just  one  thing  equalled  this  desire.  That 
was  his  dislike  for  work. 

However,  we  must  not  blame  him  for  that. 
His  laziness  was  the  result  of  training,  or 
rather  the  lack  of  it.  Necessities  were  few  and 
easily  obtained,  and  he  had  not  learned  to  care 
for  the  luxuries  of  life. 

On  account  of  Vasco's  fondness  for  bustle 
and  excitement  the  time  this  story  begins  was 


2        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

most  glorious  for  him.  As  his  American 
cousin  would  say,  "  something  was  doing." 

A  successful  revolution  had  just  taken  place 
in  Panama. 

A  revolution  was  no  new  thing  in  the  little 
strip  of  country  that  separates  the  Atlantic 
from  the  Pacific.  Vasco's  father  had  been 
through  many  such  affairs.  They  had  been 
nearly  as  regular  as  the  rainy  seasons. 

Vasco  did  not  understand  all  about  it,  yet 
even  the  boys  in  the  streets  knew  that  this 
revolution  was  different  from  any  other. 

There  had  been  no  bloodshed,  but  the  re- 
sults seemed  likely  to  be  very  important  to  the 
country. 

Do  you  want  to  know  why  ? 

Then  listen  to  a  little  bit  of  history. 

The  State  or  Province  of  Panama,  on  the 
narrow  bit  of  land  connecting  North  and  South 
America,  had  been  a  part  of  the  country  called 
the  United  States  of  Colombia. 


Happy  Days  3 

The  great  republic  to  the  north,  the  United 
States  of  America,  wanted  to  dig  a  canal  across 
Panama,  but  had  been  unable  to  get  permission 
from  Colombia.  And  so  it  looked  as  if  there 
might  be  no  canal  —  at  least  not  in  Panama. 

The  citizens  of  Panama  were  disappointed, 
for  the  digging  of  a  canal  through  their  country- 
would  bring  to  them  many  people  and  much 
wealth. 

For  this  reason  the  leading  men  concluded 
that  it  was  best  to  separate  from  Colombia, 
organize  a  government  of  their  own,  and  come 
to  an  agreement  with  the  United  States.  At 
the  time  this  story  opens  the  new  government 
had  just  been  set  up,  and  its  authority  pro- 
claimed. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  what  has  all  this  to  do 
with  Vasco  ? 

To  begin  with,  Vasco*s  father,  in  private  life 
a  very  ordinary  citizen,  who  sometimes  had 
been  a  waiter  in  a  hotel  and  at  other  times  the 


4        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

servant  of  an  American  engineer,  was  deeply- 
interested  in  this  latest  revolution ;  for  was  he 
not  an  officer  in  the  new  National  Guard,  — • 
Lieutenant  Amadeo  Barretas  ? 

His  position  did  not  require  much  work, 
either  of  mind  or  body,  but  little  Lieutenant 
Barretas  could  assume  as  much  dignity  as  a 
seven-foot  member  of  Napoleon's  "  Old 
Guard" — and  more  pomposity.  When  on 
parade  he  would  strut  about  in  his  gaudy  uni- 
form with  all  the  airs  possible,  and  appear  very- 
serious  —  though  to  you  he  would  have  looked 
more  silly  than  serious. 

There  was  to  be  a  grand  review  of  the 
Panama  "  army."  The  soldiers  were  to  parade 
through  the  streets  of  the  city  and  be  inspected 
by  the  commander-in-chief.  Several  officers 
of  the  United  States  army  were  to  be  guests 
of  the  Panama  officials,  and  occupy  a  place  on 
the  reviewing  stand. 

Young  Vasco  meant  to  have  a  good  sight 


LIEUTENANT    AMADEO    BARRETAS 


Happy  Days  5 

of  the  parade.  Surely  he,  the  son  of  a  lieuten- 
ant in  the  army,  ought  to  have  a  place  where 
he  might  see  his  father  march  by,  and  be  able 
to  add  his  voice  to  the  thousands  who 
would  shout  huzzas  !  But,  for  some  reason, 
the  officers  in  charge  had  neglected  to  invite 
him. 

Vasco*s  home  was  on  a  side  street  in  the 
poorer  section  of  the  city,  so  the  soldiers  would 
not  pass  by  that  place.  How,  then,  could  he 
get  a  good  view  of  the  parade  ? 

Of  course  he  could  stand  at  the  side  of  the 
street ;  but  what  chance  would  a  small  boy 
have  in  such  a  place  as  that? 

Now  Vasco  was  a  boy  of  many  resources, 
and  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  might  make  use 
of  the  good  nature  of  a  young  American  friend. 

Harlan  Webster  was  the  son  of  an  Ameri- 
can engineer  who  was  in  charge  of  work  on  the 
canal. 

Mr.  Webster  had  been  for  some  time  upon 


6        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

the  Isthmus^  and,  unlike  most  of  the  Ameri- 
cans at  work  on  the  canal,  he  had  brought  his 
family,  consisting  of  wife  and  son,  to  the  city 
of  Panama.  They  had  now  lived  here  over  a 
year.  During  that  time  Harlan  had  learned  a 
good  deal  about  the  country.  He  had  also 
acquired  some  knowledge  of  Spanish,  the  lan- 
guage of  the  natives.  In  fact,  it  was  said  of 
him  by  his  Panama  friends  that  he  could  talk 
with  the  people  more  freely  than  many  older 
foreigners  who  had  been  longer  in  the  country. 

The  American  boy  knew  many  Panama  lads, 
among  them  Vasco.  "  Lieutenant  *'  Barre- 
tas,  as  he  insisted  on  being  called,  had  been  in 
Mr.  Webster's  service  at  various  times,  and 
the  two  boys  had  thus  become  quite  intimate 
and   had  taken  many  pleasure  trips  together. 

Harlan  was  able  to  tell  Vasco  a  good  deal 
about  Panama  history.  The  stories  about  the 
buccaneers  of  old  times,  about  the  raid  on  the 
city  of  Panama,  about  Balboa  and  his  adven- 


Happy    Days  7 

tures  and  discoveries,  were  more  familiar  to  the 
American  lad  than  they  were  to  the  Panama 
boy. 

On  the  other  hand,  Vasco  could  give  his 
friend  much  information  about  the  every-day 
habits  and  customs  of  the  people,  and  was  able 
to  take  him  to  many  points  of  interest.  When 
it  came  to  excursions  by  water  or  by  land, 
Vasco  was  in  his  element.  He  could  handle  a 
boat  with  skill,  he  could  swim  like  a  fish,  and 
he  knew  the  windings  and  curvings  of  all  the 
highways  and  byways  of  the  city. 

Straight  to  the  hotel  where  the  Webster 
family  lived  went  Vasco  this  morning.  This 
hotel  was  in  the  better  part  of  the  city,  not  far 
from  the  plaza,  or  great  square. 

"  Hello,  Harlan,*'  said  Vasco,  after  he  had 
found  his  friend. 

"  Hello,  Vasco." 

"  How  would  you  like  to  see  the  great  army 
parade  this  morning  ?  " 


8        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Fine/'  was  the  reply.  "  Where  can  we  go 
to  get  a  good  view  ?  " 

"That's  what  Td  like  to  know.  I  don't 
want  to  stand  in  the  crowd  on  the  street,  for  I 
could  never  see  anything  that  way." 

"  Let's  see  what  my  father  can  do  to  help 
us,"  said  Harlan. 

Mr.  Webster,  who  was  in  an  adjoining  room, 
greeted  his  son's  friend  with  a  pleasant  "  Good 
morning  "  when  the  boys  appeared  before  him. 
Seeing  the  eager,  inquiring  look  on  their  faces, 
he  asked  what  he  could  do  for  them. 

"  The  Panama  soldiers  are  going  to  parade 
to-day,"  said  Harlan, "  and  Vasco  is  anxious 
to  find  a  place  where  he  can  see  them." 

Mr.  Webster  smiled.  He  had  an  idea  that 
Harlan  was  as  anxious  to  get  a  view  of  the  pa- 
rade as  was  Vasco. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  into  the  cathedral  and 
watch  from  the  tower  or  from  one  of  the  upper 
windows  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Webster. 


Happy  Days  g 

"  None  but  officials  and  their  families  or 
others  holding  tickets  can  enter  the  cathedral 
till  after  the  parade,"  replied  Vasco,  "  and  all 
entrances  are  guarded." 

"  If  I  tell  you  of  a  way  to  get  into  the 
cathedral,  do  you  think  you  can  remain  within 
till  the  soldiers  go  by  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Webster. 

"Tm  sure  we  can,"  replied  Vasco. 

Mr.  Webster,  during  his  stay  in  Panama, 
had  been  able  to  pick  up  information  about 
the  place  that  even  Vasco  did  not  know,  and 
he  said  to  the  boys,  "  You  know  where  the  old 
sea-battery  is,  on  the  other  side  of  the  plaza 
from  the  cathedral  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  two  boys  together. 

"  Well,  from  that  battery  to  the  cathedral  is 
an  underground  passage,  built  centuries  ago  to 
afford  escape  from  the  building.  In  times  of 
revolution  there  was  often  danger  even  within 
its  sacred  walls." 

Mr.  Webster  told  the  boys  how  they  might 


lo      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

find  the  entrance  to  the  tunnel,  and  at  once 
they  were  off  to  see  for  themselves.  It  took 
only  a  few  moments  to  make  their  way  from 
the  hotel,  down  the  street,  across  the  plaza, 
and  through  a  narrow  alley  to  the  old  battery. 
Quickly  they  passed  inside.  Here  Vasco  was 
entirely  at  home,  for  many  times  he  had  wan- 
dered about  the  place,  and  with  his  friends  had 
played  hide-and-seek  and  other  boyish  games. 

Notwithstanding  this,  it  was  hard  for  Vasco 
and  Harlan  to  find  the  entrance  to  the  under- 
ground passage.  They  opened  many  doors 
and  wandered  into  several  blind  corridors. 
Vasco  was  almost  ready  to  give  up  the  search, 
but  his  American  friend  insisted  on  continuing. 
At  last,  behind  a  heap  of  old  rubbish,  they 
found  the  entrance  they  had  so  eagerly  sought. 

With  a  brave  front  the  boys  went  into 
the  dark  passage.  After  going  a  few  yards, 
they  found  themselves  in  complete  dark- 
ness. 


Happy  Days  ii 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  have  to  go  far  in  this 
dark  place,"  said  Vasco. 

Harlan  pretended  to  give  a  careless  reply, 
but,  after  he  had  stubbed  his  toes  and  scraped 
his  shins  on  various  obstacles  in  the  path,  he 
agreed  that  the  adventure  had  its  drawbacks. 

Just  then  it  occurred  to  Vasco  that  he  had  a 
supply  of  matches  in  his  pocket.  He  scratched 
them  one  by  one,  thus  faintly  lighting  the  path. 
Then  the  boys  were  able  to  move  forward 
more  rapidly,  and  soon  they  came  to  what 
was  evidently  the  foundation  wall  of  the 
cathedral. 

Through  this  wall  was  a  low  archway,  which 
was  blocked  by  what  seemed  to  be  a  wooden 
barricade.     There  was  no  sign  of  a  door. 

"  Well,  we  are  really  in  trouble  now,"  said 
Harlan. 

"  There's  no  doubt  about  that,"  replied 
Vasco  as  he  put  his  shoulder  to  the  partition. 
It  did  not  budge,  and   the   Panama  lad  was 


12      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

again  inclined  to  give  up  the  attempt  to  get 
into  the  cathedral. 

"  We  may  as  well  give  up  trying  to  get  in 
this  way,"  he  said. 

"  Not  yet,"  was  Harlan's  reply  as  they  stood 
in  the  dark.  "  Strike  another  match,  and  let's 
see  what  this  looks  like,  anyway." 

Vasco  scratched  another  match,  and  the  two 
boys  hastily  looked  over  the  stout  planking. 
Not  a  crack  nor  a  loose  joint  was  to  be  seen. 

Just  before  the  match  went  out,  Harlan 
glanced  backward  and  spied  upon  the  ground 
a  stick  of  timber  eight  or  ten  feet  long. 

"  Light  another  match,"  he  shouted,  darting 
toward  the  stick. 

Lifting  one  end  of  it,  he  directed  Vasco  to 
take  up  the  other  end.  It  was  not  very  easy 
for  Vasco  to  do  this  and  keep  his  match  burning 
at  the  same  time,  but  he  managed  to  do  so, 
though  the  light  went  out  just  as  they  reached 
the  archway  again. 


Happy  Days  13 

"  Let's  batter  down  these  old  planks,"  said 
Harlan. 

Together  the  boys  began  to  pound  at  the 
barricade.  Though  Vasco  was  a  small  lad, 
compared  with  Harlan,  his  well-trained  mus- 
cles, hardened  and  toughened  by  out-door  life, 
came  well  into  play. 

Under  such  hammering  as  the  boys  were 
able  to  give,  the  planks  began  to  loosen,  and 
soon  they  made  a  hole  large  enough  to  crawl 
through. 

Fortunately,  this  was  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
basement,  and  none  heard  the  noise  the  boys 
had  made.  No  one  dreamed  of  putting  a 
guard  at  this  point.  The  entrance  had  been 
so  long  closed  that  nearly  everybody  had  for- 
gotten it. 

Passing  through,  the  boys  found  themselves 
in  a  small  room  which  had  been  used  as  a 
storeroom. 

"  See  the  relics  here,"  said  Harlan, 


14     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Mostly  old  rubbish,  I  guess,"  was  Vasco*s 
reply. 

Whether  relics  or  rubbish,  the  lads  had 
no  time  to  stop  and  examine  the  stuff.  They 
made  their  way  to  a  steep  stairway,  down  which 
a  ray  of  light  came  from  a  crack  in  the  trap- 
door overhead. 

Without  a  moment's  delay  Vasco  and  his 
friend  mounted  the  stairs.  With  a  strong  push 
they  put  their  shoulders  to  the  heavy  timbers 
of  which  the  door  was  made.  But  the  door 
had  been  too  long  settled  in  its  place  to  yield 
at  once  to  their  pushing.  By  persistent  effort, 
however,  the  door  was  moved.  Slowly  the 
boys  raised  it,  looking  carefully  about  as  their 
eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  light  which 
flooded  the  room  into  which  it  opened. 

It  proved  to  be  an  anteroom  on  the  main 
floor  of  the  cathedral  into  which  the  boys  had 
come.  Vasco  immediately  recognized  their 
surroundings.     No  one  else  was   about,  and 


Happy  Days  15 

the  boys  were  able  to  make  their  way  without 
challenge  to  the  portico  facing  the  plaza. 
Once  mingled  with  the  throng,  there  was  no 
danger  of  any  one  interfering  with  their  move- 
ments. It  was  taken  for  granted  by  the  sol- 
diers that  Vasco  and  his  friend  had  a  right 
to  be  in  the  cathedral. 

In  truth,  several  of  the  guards  were  mem- 
bers of  Lieutenant  Barretas's  company,  and 
they  knew  Vasco,  who  had  often  visited  their 
camp.  They  supposed,  however,  that  the  son 
of  one  of  their  officers  had  a  right  within  the 
space  reserved  for  guests.  Vasco,  in  turn, 
knew  who  these  particular  soldiers  were,  and 
was  not  long  making  friends  with  them. 

While  waiting  for  the  marching  soldiers, 
Vasco  told  Harlan  something  of  the  history 
of  the  cathedral,  which  is  built  of  yellow  stone, 
with  high  Moorish  towers. 

As  the  boys  looked  up  to  the  great  dome, 
Harlan  asked : 


1 6      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"What  makes  the  dome  sparkle  so  in  the 
sunshine  ? " 

"That's  because  of  the  hundreds  of  pearl 
shells  that  are  stuck  into  the  cement  covering/' 
replied  Vasco. 

"  Do  you  know,"  continued  Vasco,  "  that 
this  great  building  was  put  up  nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Harlan,  "  and  I  have  heard 
that  its  builder  was  the  first  coloured  bishop 
of  this  city." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Vasco,  "  and  he  was 
the  son  of  a  poor  man  who  burned  charcoal 
and  then  sold  it  from  his  back  through  the 
streets  of  Panama.  The  son  was  very  kind  to 
the  poor  people,  and  was  noted  for  his  charity." 

"  Yes,"  added  one  of  Vasco's  soldier  ac- 
quaintances who  stood  near  and  overheard  the 
talk,  "  and  this  cathedral  is  really  a  monument 
to  the  useful  life  of  the  bishop." 

Further  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the 


Happy   Days  17 

music  of  a  brass  band  in  the  distance.  The 
boys  looked  down  the  street  by  which  the 
soldiers  were  to  come  to  the  plaza.  In  the 
distance  they  soon  saw  the  uniforms  of  the  offi- 
cers followed  by  the  long  white  lines  of  the 
soldiers. 

Vasco's  enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds  as  the 
battalion  wheeled  into  the  plaza  and  passed  by 
the  cathedral  with  salutes  for  the  onlookers. 
When  he  finally  spied  his  father.  Lieutenant 
Barretas,  marching  at  the  head  of  his  company, 
Vasco  was  delirious  with  joy.  To  his  mind, 
not  even  the  general  in  command  looked  finer 
than  did  the  little  lieutenant  — his  father! 

What  cared  Vasco  if  the  lines  of  soldiers 
were  not  precisely  straight  ?  Even  less  did  he 
mind  Harlan's  criticism  and  lack  of  admiration 
for  the  parade.  Were  not  these  soldiers  en- 
listed in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  were 
they  not  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives  in  its 
defence  ? 


i8      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Vasco^s  only  wish  was  that  he  were  old 
enough  to  join  them  and  wear  the  uniform 
which  to  him  seemed  so  glorious. 

But,  like  all  spectacles,  grand  as  it  seemed 
to  Vasco,  this  one  at  last  came  to  an  end. 
The  last  flag  had  dipped  before  the  reviewing 
stand,  the  last  soldier  had  disappeared  from 
the  plaza,  the  last  beat  of  drum  was  lost  in  the 
distance. 

Meantime,  the  sun  had  risen  high,  and  with 
its  hot  rays  was  driving  to  cover  all  the  people 
of  Panama.  As  was  their  usual  custom, 
shopkeepers  and  market-men  closed  their 
doors  at  eleven  o'clock  and  betook  themselves 
to  their  homes  to  enjoy  their  noonday  siesta. 

Even  the  throngs  of  boys  forsook  their 
sports  and  disappeared  from  the  streets,  and 
Vasco  and  Harlan  took  their  departure  from 
the  cathedral,  —  the  latter  to  his  cool  room 
in  the  hotel,  the  former  to  his  more  humble 
home. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ABOUT     THE     CITY 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  more 
about  Vasco  Barretas  —  who  he  is,  his  home, 
his  surroundings,  his  occupations,  his  ambi- 
tions. Of  the  two  latter  there  is  little  to  be 
said.  Like  many  of  the  boys  of  Panama, 
he  had  no  occupation  —  not  even  going  to 
school  —  and  no  particular  ambition.  If  any 
thought  of  the  future  ever  did  come  into  his 
mind,  it  was  quickly  forgotten  for  some  pleas- 
ure of  the  moment. 

It  is  fair  to  Vasco  to  say  that  it  was  not  his 
fault  that  he  did  not  attend  school.  Under 
the  Colombian  government  there  had  been  no 
public  schools.  There  had  been  a  few  private 
schools  under  the  care  of  the  priests,  but  their 

19 


20      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

equipment  was  very  poor,  and  accommodations 
were  limited. 

Under  the  new  government  there  was  des- 
tined to  be  an  improvement  in  this  respect, 
and  the  year  after  the  Panama  Republic  de- 
clared its  independence,  there  were  more  than 
three  thousand  children  in  the  schools,  though 
previous  to  that  there  had  been  less  than  five 
hundred. 

Vasco's  home  was  a  humble  one,  though  it 
does  not  follow  that  it  was  unhappy.  The 
contrary  was  the  fact. 

There  were  two  children  younger  than 
Vasco, —  Inez,  his  eight-year-old  sister,  and 
the  little  baby  brother  Carlos.  The  parents 
loved  their  children  as  fathers  and  mothers  do 
everywhere,  and  were  willing  to  sacrifice  much 
for  their  welfare. 

Both  Lieutenant  Barretas  and  his  wife 
boasted  of  their  Spanish  ancestry,  though  they 
were  of  mixed  descent,  and  there  was  evidence 


About  the  City  21 

of  Jamaica  negro  blood  in  their  features.  Per- 
haps this  accounted  for  Vasco's  aversion  to 
hard  labour,  though  the  strict  truth  of  history 
does  not  reveal  that  the  early  Spanish  discover- 
ers were  specially  fond  of  manual  toil. 

Though  Vasco's  home  could  boast  no  luxu- 
ries,  he  had  never  seen  the  time  when  there 
was  lack  of  food,  and  for  clothing  all  he  re- 
quired was  a  pair  of  trousers  and  a  shirt,  both 
made  of  cheap  linen  cloth.  Boy  readers  will 
realize  the  glorious  possibilities  in  such  a  scanty 
attire. 

Much  of  his  time  Vasco  spent  about  the 
streets  of  the  city,  indulging  in  sports  and 
games  with  boys  of  his  own  age.  Often  he 
went  to  the  water-front  and  watched  the  load- 
ing and  unloading  of  vessels.  He  specially 
liked  to  watch  the  fishermen  as  they  came  in 
with  their  little  vessels,  and  brought  their  finny 
harvest  ashore. 

Fish  are  very  abundant  in  Panama  waters. 


22      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

The  name  of  the  city  means  "  abounding  in 
fish."  Years  ago  many  whales  were  caught 
off  the  coast,  and  whaling  vessels  were  a  com- 
mon sight  in  the  harbour. 

At  present,  in  addition  to  the  edible  fish, 
sharks  are  numerous  in  the  Pacific  near  Pan- 
ama. On  one  occasion  Vasco  had  gone  on 
a  short  fishing  trip  in  one  of  the  larger  boats 
with  the  father  of  a  boy  friend.  A  shark  was 
seen  following  the  boat,  and  in  consequence 
other  fish  were  scared  away. 

To  rid  themselves  of  the  unwelcome  in- 
truder the  fishermen  attached  a  piece  of  pork 
to  a  large  fish-hook  held  by  a  small  chain. 
To  this  was  fastened  a  stout  rope.  No  sooner 
was  the  baited  hook  cast  overboard  than  the 
shark  made  a  rush  for  it  and  swallowed  it 
whole.  When  he  found  he  was  caught,  there 
was  a  terrible  lashing  of  the  water,  the  shark 
leaping  bodily  into  the  air  and  vainly  snapping 
his  teeth  again  and  again  upon  the  chain. 


A    STREET    IN    PANAMA 


About  the  City  23 

After  the  fish  had  become  pretty  well  ex- 
hausted, the  men  drew  him  on  board  the  boat, 
but  not  without  a  fierce  struggle.  Soon  he 
was  killed,  though  not  without  much  unneces- 
sary torture. 

Often  Vasco  wandered  into  the  market  dis- 
trict of  the  city.  Many  of  the  vendors  of 
vegetables,  fruits,  and  provisions  occupied  the 
narrow  sidewalks,  displaying  their  wares  in  full 
view  of  the  passers-by. 

At  other  times  Vasco  would  spend  hours 
under  the  shady  palms  in  the  great  plaza  watch- 
ing the  passing  to  and  fro  of  all  classes  of 
people,  —  some  on  foot,  some  in  carriages, 
some  mounted  on  donkeys,  and  occasionally  a 
military  officer  on  horseback.  When  one  of 
the  latter  came  in  sight,  Yasco,  with  scores 
of  other  boys,  would  run  a  long  distance  to 
keep  watch  of  the  fine  figure  in  such  an 
abundance  of  gold  braid. 

The  water-sellers,  with  their  little  carts  drawn 


24      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

by  wobegone-looking  donkeys,  were  always 
an  object  of  interest  to  Vasco.  He  felt  that  it 
would  be  almost  as  much  fun  to  ride  about  on 
a  water-cart  all  day  as  to  be  a  soldier. 

Among  the  buildings  within  Vasco's  vision 
as  he  sat  in  the  plaza  was  the  Cabildo,  or  town 
hall,  which  is  the  Independence  Hall  of  Pan- 
ama, for  here  was  signed  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  from  Spain.  Naturally  the  place 
is  an  object  of  much  reverence  to  the  natives. 
Near  by  is  the  Bishop's  Palace,  an  imposing 
structure  where  much  important  Panama  his- 
tory has  been  made.  At  the  present  time  the 
street  floor  is  occupied  by  the  great  Panama 
Lottery  Company.  Let  us  hope  that  some 
day  the  people  of  that  country  will  be  deliv- 
ered from  this  national  shame,  and  the  lottery 
banished. 

Sunday  evenings  there  was  always  a  band 
concert  in  the  plaza,  and  Vasco  never  failed  to 
be  present.     Generally  he  took  with  him  his 


About  the  City  25 

sister  Inez,  and  sometimes  his  mother,  with 
little  Carlos,  would  accompany  them.  This 
was  always  a  joyful  occasion,  for  Vasco  liked 
nothing  better  than  to  hear  the  music  and 
to  watch  the  continual  passing  of  the  people. 


CHAPTER   III. 

A    TRIP    TO    OLD    PANAMA 

Though  Vasco  had  explored  nearly  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  city  in  which  he  had 
lived,  he  had  never  visited  what  was  called 
Old  Panama. 

You  must  understand  that  the  Panama  of 
to-day  is  not  on  the  site  of  the  original  city. 
The  present  city  was  built  after  the  former  one 
had  been  destroyed  by  the  buccaneers.  Of 
them   you   may   learn   something    further  on. 

The     so-called    "  modern  '*     Panama     was 

founded  in  1673.     As  protection  from  pirates 

and   buccaneers   a   high   stone   wall  was   built 

around  the  city,  which  cost  over  eleven  million 

dollars.     That  seems  to  us  an  enormous  sum, 

and  to  the  people  of  those  days  it  was  fabulous. 

26 


A  Trip  to  Old  Panama         27 

It  gives  some  idea  of  the  vast  wealth  that  must 
have  been  stored  in  the  city  to  admit  of  such 
an  outlay  for  its  protection.  Few  traces  of 
this  wall  now  remain.  As  civilization  has 
advanced,  and  life  and  property  have  become 
safer,  it  has  gradually  been  torn  down. 

One  day,  not  long  after  the  great  military 
review,  Vasco  was  down  at  the  water-front 
watching  the  fishermen  unloading  their  boats. 
As  it  happened,  he  fell  in  with  Enrique  Men- 
doza,  in  whose  father's  boat  he  had  witnessed 
the  capture  of  the  shark. 

Enrique,  as  well  as  Vasco,  was  always  look- 
ing for  some  new  adventure.  At  this  time 
he  hailed  his  friend  with  a  glad  shout,  and 
asked : 

"  What  do  you  say,  Vasco,  to  a  trip  over  to 
Old  Panama  to-morrow?  Father  will  let  us 
take  a  small  boat  he  is  not  using,  and  we 
can  go  part  of  the  way  in  that.*' 

Vasco  was  much  pleased  at  the  invitation. 


28      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

but  was  in  doubt  as  to  whether  it  were  per- 
fectly safe  for  them  to  go  without  some  one  for 
protector  and  guide,  as  he  had  heard  many- 
disquieting  stories  about  the  old  city. 

"  Have  you  ever  been  over  there  ?  "  he  asked 
Enrique. 

"  Many  times." 

^  Do  you  know  the  way  about  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  do.  I  have  often  been  there 
with  father.  Besides,  there's  an  old  friend  of 
his  who  lives  in  a  hut  near  the  ruins,  and 
he  will  be  glad  to  show  us  about." 

When  Vasco  heard  the  last  statement,  he 
hesitated  no  longer.  "  Til  go,  then,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  never  been  there,  and  I  should  like 
to  see  what  the  place  looks  like.  What  do 
you  say  to  asking  my  American  friend  Harlan 
to  go  with  us  ?  " 

"That  will  be  fine.  The  boat  will  carry 
three  all  right,  and  we  will  have  all  the  jollier 
time." 


A  Trip  to  Old  Panama         29 

Enrique  had  never  seen  Harlan  Webster, 
but  he  had  heard  Vasco  talk  about  him,  and 
was  greatly  pleased  at  the  thought  of  having 
him  along  on  this  trip.  He  had  seen  and 
heard  enough  of  the  Americans  about  the  city 
to  know  that  they  were  very  active  and  enthu- 
siastic. So  he  felt  certain  that  this  American 
boy  would  add  to  the  fun  of  the  excursion. 

"All  right,  then,"  said  Vasco.  "We'll 
start  early  to-morrow  morning.  What  time  do 
you  say  ? " 

"  Six  o'clock  won't  be  too  early.  It  will 
take  at  least  three  hours  to  get  over  there. 
That  will  give  us  a  little  time  to  look  around 
before  the  middle  of  the  day,  when  it  will 
be  too  hot  to  move  about.  Then  in  the  after- 
noon we  can  search  among  the  old  ruins  awhile, 
starting  for  home  in  season  to  get  here  before 
dark." 

This  plan  suited  Vasco,  and  he  took  leave 
of  Enrique,  saying  that  he  would  see  Harlan 


30        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

sometime  during  the  day.  He  had  little  doubt 
that  the  young  American  would  go  with  them. 

As  the  day  was  now  well  advanced,  though, 
Vasco  first  made  his  way  home,  when  for  sev- 
eral hours  he  remained  within  doors.  He  told 
his  mother  of  his  plans  for  the  next  day,  to 
which  she  made  no  objection.  She  rarely  in- 
terfered with  his  movements,  except  that  some- 
times she  asked  him  to  do  some  chores  about 
the  house,  and  occasionally  required  him  to 
look  after  Inez  and  his  baby  brother  while  she 
was  away  on  an  errand. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon  Vasco 
went  to  see  if  Harlan  could  go  with  him  the 
next  day.  It  didn't  take  long  to  give  the  invi- 
tation, and  it  took  Harlan  even  less  time  to 
accept  it,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned. 

"  Wait  a  moment,  though,"  he  said  to  Vasco. 
"  I  must  ask  my  mother  if  she  is  willing  for 
me  to  go  with  you." 

To    Vasco    this    seemed   unnecessary.     He 


A  Trip  to  Old  Panama         31 

never  thought  of  having  to  ask  his  mother 
about  such  things.  But  he  had  known  Har- 
lan long  enough  to  learn  that  American  ways, 
especially  so  far  as  boys  were  concerned,  were 
different   from   Panama  customs. 

The  American  boy  immediately  went  to  his 
mother  and  told  her  what  he  wanted.  At  first 
she  was  inclined  to  object  to  his  making  this 
trip  with  only  two  other  boys  for  companions, 
but  his  arguments  and  persuasions  finally  over- 
came her  scruples,  if  not  her  fears,  and  he 
secured  her  consent. 

Back  to  Vasco  he  hurried  and  told  him  the 
welcome  news. 

"  Remember,  now,"  said  Vasco  as  he  took 
his  leave,  "  and  be  at  the  beach  near  the  Pan- 
ama Railroad  pier  at  six  o'clock  sharp.'* 

"  I  surely  will.  Good  night,"  was  Harlan's 
reply. 

Both  boys  retired  in  good  season  that  eve- 
ning, to  get  well  rested  for  their  early  start. 


32      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

At  dawn  next  day  Vasco  sprang  out  of  bed. 
He  was  not  concerned  about  the  weather,  for 
this  was  the  dry  season  of  the  year,  when 
for  months  no  water  falls,  and  there  was  no 
danger  of  rain  preventing  the  day's  outing. 

Quickly  he  ate  the  breakfast  his  mother  pro- 
vided, and  many  minutes  before  the  appointed 
time  was  on  his  way  to  the  meeting-place. 
Though  the  first  on  the  scene,  he  did  not  have 
to  wait  long  for  the  other  two  boys.  Enrique 
was  the  second  to  arrive,  and  shortly  afterward 
Harlan  made  his  appearance. 

Harlan  was  glad  to  meet  Enrique,  and  felt 
sure  that  if  his  mother  could  have  seen  the 
sturdy  brown  fisher-lad  getting  the  boat  ready 
she  would  have  had  no  concern  for  their  safety. 
All  three  boys  were  familiar  with  boats,  though 
of  course  Harlan's  acquaintance  was  with  less 
rudely  built  craft  than  the  one  in  which  they 
were  to  cross  the  bay. 

Each  boy  had  brought  along  fruit  for  lunch. 


A  Trip  to  Old  Panama         33 

In  addition,  Vasco  had  some  hard-boiled  eggs, 
wrapped  in  corn-husks,  as  sold  in  the  market. 
Eggs  are  not  bought  by  the  dozen  in  Panama, 
but  by  the  pair.  The  boys  expected  either 
to  catch  fish  or  to  get  some  from  Juan,  En- 
rique's friend  who  lived  in  the  hut  near  the 
old  city. 

Soon  they  got  under  way  in  the  little  boat, 
with  its  sail  spread  wide  to  catch  the  light 
morning  breeze.  Enrique  was  at  the  rudder 
and  Vasco  acted  as  lookout  at  the  bow,  while 
Harlan  made  himself  as  comfortable  as  possible 
midway.  All  of  them  hugely  enjoyed  the  sail 
across  the  bay. 

Old  Panama  is  only  about  four  miles  north- 
east of  the  present  city  in  a  straight  line,  but 
as  the  boys  went,  partly  by  water  and  partly  on 
foot,  they  had  to  cover  a  much  longer  distance. 
That  did  not  trouble  them,  however,  especially 
while  in  the  boat. 

After  sailing  about  an  hour,  a  landing  was 


34      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

made  at  Point  Paitillo,  which  forms  the  pro- 
tection for  the  upper  side  of  the  Bay  of  Pan- 
ama. The  boat  was  safely  drawn  up  to  shore 
and  made  fast  to  a  huge  boulder  by  a  long  line. 

As  the  tide  was  high  when  they  landed,  they 
knew  there  was  no  danger  of  the  boat's  going 
adrift  later  in  tKe  day.  In  fact,  as  the  tide 
receded  it  left  the  craft  high  and  dry  upon  the 
shore.  At  Panama  the  tide  has  a  rise  and  fall 
of  about  twenty  feet. 

The  boat  secured  in  its  position,  the  boys 
took  up  their  way  afoot.  They  passed  along 
the  rocky  shore,  through  some  swampy  low- 
land and  over  broad  green  fields,  crossing  many 
little  brooks  and  rivulets. 

To  Harlan  especially  this  walk  was  delight- 
ful. He  greatly  admired  the  park-like  trees  and 
shrubs,  the  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation,  the 
beautiful  scenery,  fleeting  glimpses  of  city  and 
sea,  and  over  all  the  clear  blue  southern  sky. 

After  awhile   the   boys   came  to   Algarrobo 


A  Trip  to  Old  Panama         35 

River,  which  empties  into  the  sea  close  beside 
the  ruins.  The  stream  was  spanned  by  an  old 
stone  bridge,  built  over  350  years  ago.  Across 
this  they  made  their  way  and  came  in  sight  of 
the  old  city  —  or  what  was  visible  in  the 
bewildering  mass  of  tropical  vegetation. 

They  did  not  immediately  go  into  its  depths, 
however,  but,  led  by  Enrique,  sought  out  the 
hut  of  Juan,  who  lived  a  hermit  life  on  the 
border  of  this  city,  where  years  ago  there  had 
been  a  great  tide  of  humanity,  and  where  am- 
bition, avarice,  gaiety,  luxury,  once  had  full 
sway,  but  now  was  only  a  memory.  Where 
once  thousands  of  people  had  thronged,  now 
the  only  living  things  were  serpents,  alligators, 
iguanas,  pum.as,  and  such. 

The  boys  were  fortunate  in  finding  Juan  at 
home,  and  as  it  was  now  well  toward  the  mid- 
dle of  the  day,  they  were  glad  to  get  into 
the  shelter  of  his  little  thatch-roofed  hut, 
and  rest  their  weary  limbs  after  the  long  walk. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

STORY    OF    THE    BUCCANEERS 

Enrique's  friend  Juan  was  a  fine  specimen 
of  the  Panama  Indian.  He  was  straight,  clean- 
limbed, big-boned,  well-shaped.  His  long, 
coarse,  straight  black  hair  hung  loosely  upon 
his  shoulders.  He  was  not  very  tall,  but  out- 
door life  had  made  him  nimble  and  active  and 
strong,  and  Harlan  especially  admired  his  ath- 
letic appearance. 

Indians  of  unmixed  blood  are  a  rarity  in 
Panama  now,  and  Juan  was  exceedingly  proud 
of  the  fact  that  no  Spanish  or  negro  blood 
flowed  in  his  veins.  This,  too,  probably  ac- 
counted for  his  living  alone.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Tule  or  San  Bias  tribe  of  Indians, 
which  not  many  years  ago  lived  on  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  of  Panama,  peaceably    pursuing    an 

36 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        37 

honest,  industrious  life,  occupied  in  fishing, 
hunting,  farming,  and  sometimes  trading. 

Juan  knew  well  what  his  ancestors  had  suf- 
fered from  the  Spaniards  centuries  ago,  and  how 
much  it  had  cost  to  resist  successfully  their  at- 
tacks. In  consequence,  he  had  no  love  for  the 
white  man.  His  hatred,  however,  did  not 
include  everybody,  and  he  was  on  terms  of 
close  friendship  with  Enrique's  father,  who 
often  marketed  the  fish  Juan  caught. 

The  Indian  met  Enrique  and  his  compan- 
ions with  a  smile,  his  even  white  teeth  gleaming 
between  his  thin  lips.  He  gave  them  a  warm 
welcome,  and  invited  them  into  the  shelter  of 
his  hut,  and  the  boys  were  very  glad  to  accept 
his  hearty  hospitality. 

"  We  have  come  to  visit  the  old  city,"  said 
Vasco,  "  and  Enrique  said  you  would  be  glad 
to  show  us  about  and  tell  something  of  its 
history." 

"  Yes,  yes,  but  not  now.     Sun  too  hot.     Go 


38      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

in  and  lie  down.  By  and  by  we  go  to  see  the 
ruins." 

Within  the  hut  swung  a  hammock,  which 
was  generously  given  up  to  Harlan,  while  Vasco 
and  Enrique  made  themselves  comfortable  on 
a  rude  grass  couch  covered  with  skins. 

Meanwhile  Juan  set  about,  in  his  deliberate 
way,  to  prepare  a  meal  for  his  visitors. 

"Doesn't  it  seem  strange,"  said  Harlan  to  his 
companions,  "  that  this  place  where  there  were 
once  so  many  people  should  now  be  deserted?" 

The  American  boy,  though  as  full  of  fun  as 
any  lad,  had  a  poetic  nature,  and  in  quiet  mo- 
ments was  either  building  air-castles  or  dream- 
ing over  past  events.  The  historic  associations 
of  this  place  brought  to  his  mind  much  that  he 
had  read  of  the  early  visits  of  the  Spaniards 
and  of  the  bold  buccaneers  who  followed  in 
their  trail. 

Harlan's  question  had  not  much  meaning 
either  to  Enrique  or  to  Vasco,  for  in  fact  they 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        39 

knew  much  less  about  the  history  of  the 
country  and  of  their  ancestors  than  did  their 
American  friend.  But  Vasco  had  enough  curi- 
osity to  be  interested  in  Harlan's  question  and 
the  thought  that  might  be  behind  it. 

"  Were  there,  then,  very  many  people  living 
here  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  thousands  and  thousands. 
After  his  discovery  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  Balboa 
founded  the  city,  and  thousands  of  Spanish 
countrymen  flocked  to  the  place  in  search  of 
gold." 

Harlan  came  very  near  saying  something 
about  their  treatment  of  the  native  Indians,  but 
he  happened  to  think  that  Vasco  and  Enrique 
were  both  descendants  of  these  same  conquer- 
ors, and  he  was  wise  enough  to  hold  his  tongue. 

"  Many  of  the  Spaniards,"  he  continued, 
"  succeeded  way  beyond  their  wildest  dreams, 
and  right  here  where  you  see  these  old  ruins 
they  were  able  to  pile  up  a  big  lot  of  gold/' 


40      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  If  they  became  so  rich,"  asked  Vasco,  "  how 
did  it  happen  that  the  city  was  deserted  and 
fell  to  ruin?'* 

"  Oh,  that  is  a  long  story,  and  I  am  not  sure 
that  I  could  tell  it  very  well,  either,"  replied 
Harlan. 

"There's  plenty  of  time  before  Juan  will 
have  dinner  ready,"  broke  in  Enrique,  "  and  I 
am  sure  we  would  both  like  to  hear  how  Old 
Panama  was  destroyed.  You  may  be  certain 
that  not  many  boys  in  this  country  know  the 
story,  and  it  will  give  us  something  to  brag 
about." 

"Well,  then,"  began  Harlan,  "you  must 
know  that  for  many  years  your  ancestors  and 
mine  quarrelled,  particularly  over  the  control  of 
the  sea  and  its  commerce.  It  was  a  long  fight 
between  the  English  and  the  Spanish,  and  it 
was  a  bitter  one,  too.  Millions  of  dollars  were 
spent,  and  blood  —  well,  that  flowed  in  rivers. 

"In  the  search  after  wealth  in  the  new  world, 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        41 

the  old  rivalry  between  Spanish  and  English 
continued,  and  I  guess  that  when  it  came  to  a 
fight  neither  side  stopped  to  ask  which  was 
right  or  wrong.  The  men  who  sailed  the 
ships  on  both  sides  were  nothing  but  a  set  of 
pirates,  and  the  governments  at  home  didn't 
much  care  what  the  sailors  did  to  their  enemies. 

"  Thus  it  came  about  that  a  fierce  and  strong 
band  of  buccaneers,  under  Henry  Morgan, 
was  allowed  to  attack  the  Spanish  vessels  even 
at  times  when  the  nations  were  supposed  to 
be  at  peace,  though  of  course  with  no  direct 
authority.  It  was  this  Morgan  and  his  blood- 
thirsty cutthroats  who  destroyed  the  old  city 
of  Panama." 

"  How  did  you  learn  all  this  ?  "  interrupted 
Vasco.  "  I  have  lived  here  all  my  life  and 
never  heard  about  this  Morgan,  though  I  have 
heard  my  father  say  that  some  of  his  ancestors 
were  among  those  who  lost  life  and  property 
when  the  city  was  destroyed." 


42     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Oh,  *'  said  Harlan,  "  some  things  I  learned 
in  history  at  school,  but  a  great  deal  I  got  from 
books  of  adventure  that  father  has  given  me. 
If  you  only  could  read  English  I  would 
lend  you  some  of  them,  and  you  would  find 
out  much  more  than  I  can  possibly  tell  you. 

"  But  let  me  tell  you  about  Morgan  and  his 
men.  The  old  pirate  chief  himself  was  a 
Welshman,  and  if  I  remember  correctly  his 
father  was  a  respectable  farmer. 

"  The  son  didn't  love  the  quiet  life  of  a 
Welsh  farmer,  and  so  he  left  home  when  quite 
young.  He  joined  the  crew  of  a  merchant 
vessel,  and  sailed  for  Barbados. 

"  Here  he  had  very  bad  luck,  which  no 
doubt  was  partly  the  cause  of  his  awful  cruelty 
to  his  enemies  in  later  years.  He  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Spaniards  and  was  sold  into 
slavery." 

"  Fm  mighty  glad  there  are  no  slaves  now," 
broke  in  Enrique.     "  I've  heard  my  father  tell 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        43 

some  things  about  the  way  they  lived,  and  it 
must  have  been  terrible." 

"  It  surely  was, "  replied  Harlan,  "  and  yet 
the  conditions  of  slavery  with  which  your 
father  is  familiar  were  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  sufferings  of  slaves  in  Morgan's  time. 
Probably  his  case  was  no  better  than  others, 
but,  as  matters  turned  out,  he  succeeded  after 
a  time  in  getting  his  freedom.  I  can't  tell  you 
just  how  this  was  brought  about,  though  I  am 
sure  his  great  strength  and  daring  must  have 
had  much  to  do  with  it. 

"  Morgan  next  went  to  Jamaica,  where  he 
joined  a  band  of  pirates  —  mostly  English  and 
French  —  who  attacked  the  Spanish  treasure- 
ships  in  these  waters.  You  can  easily  imagine 
that  Morgan's  part  in  this  business  wasn't 
small.  He  never  thought  of  such  a  thing 
as  mercy.  The  crews  of  captured  ships  who 
weren't  killed  in  the  battles  had  to  walk  the 
plank. 


44      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Fortune  favoured  Morgan,  and,  unlike 
most  of  his  companions,  he  saved  his  booty, 
and  in  a  little  while  was  able  to  buy  a  ship. 
In  this  vessel  he  had  as  villainous  a  body  of 
men  as  ever  walked  the  deck. 

"  With  his  ship  he  joined  other  pirate  cap- 
tains, and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  in 
command  of  a  fleet  of  fifteen  vessels,  with  over 
five  hundred  men,  —  men  who  were  not  afraid 
of  anything,  and  who  did  dreadful  things  wher- 
ever they  went. 

"  With  the  constant  additions  to  their  force, 
the  buccaneers  began  to  spread  out.  They 
were  not  satisfied  with  capturing  ships  and 
killing  their  crews,  but  began  to  go  upon 
the  land,  and  a  good  many  native  and  Spanish 
settlements  in  the  West  Indies  and  on  the 
shore  of  South  or  Central  America  suffered. 
Wherever  the  pirates  suspected  Spanish  treas- 
ure might  be  stored,  they  were  sure  to  make 
their  appearance,  sooner  or  later.     Town  after 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        45 

town  was  captured  and  destroyed,  and  every- 
thing of  value  carried  away." 

"  But  what  has  all  this  to  do  with  Panama  ?  " 
asked  Vasco,  who,  though  interested  in  Mor- 
gan's history,  was  anxious  to  learn  about  the 
destruction  of  the  city. 

"  Fm  coming  to  that  very  soon,'*  replied 
Harlan.  "  After  a  time  Morgan  and  his  men 
began  to  wonder  if  they  could  not  capture 
Panama,  which  was  then  the  chief  city  of  all 
this  region,  and  was  famous  everywhere  for  its 
vast  wealth.  And,  as  so  often  happens,  the  sto- 
ries about  its  wonders  far  exceeded  the  reality. 

"  The  inhabitants  did  not  dream  that  the 
buccaneers  would  ever  dare  to  attack  Panama, 
fortified  as  it  was,  and  defended  by  Spanish 
soldiers.  But  they  didn't  know  much  about 
the  spirit  which  was  in  Morgan  and  his  men, 
and  they  didn't  realize  to  what  the  greed  for 
gold  would  lead. 

"To   make   a    long   story   short,    Morgan 


46      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

decided  to  attack  Panama.  By  this  time  he 
had  twelve  hundred  followers.  Landing  about 
forty  miles  from  the  city,  with  only  a  small 
supply  of  provisions,  they  took  up  their  long 
march  through  forests  and  over  the  mountains 
and  across  the  streams.  They  could  not  move 
very  fast,  and  the  men  were  nearly  starved.  I 
remember  reading  in  some  book,  that  at  night- 
fall often  the  happiest  man  in  the  company 
was  the  one  who  had  saved  from  his  breakfast 
a  small  piece  of  rawhide  on  which  to  make  his 
supper." 

Vasco,  who  could  make  good  use  of  anything 
eatable  at  any  time,  and  who  even  now  was 
wondering  if  Juan  had  dinner  nearly  ready, 
could  not  restrain  an  exclamation  at  this  state- 
ment. "  How  could  they  live  on  that  sort  of 
stuff?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  know,  myself,"  replied  Harlan, 
"but  we  are  told  that  the  skins  were  first 
sliced,   then  dipped  in   water,  and    afterward 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        47 

beaten  between  stones.  The  morsel  would 
then  be  broiled,  cut  into  bits,  and  deliberately 
chewed,  with  plenty  of  cold  water  to  wash 
it  down. 

"In  addition  to  the  danger  of  starvation,  the 
pirates  were  in  constant  fear  of  ambuscades. 
The  Spaniards,  who  knew  of  their  approach, 
sent  out  parties  of  soldiers  to  meet  them  and 
hinder  their  march,  though  the  defenders  of 
Panama  knew  very  well  that  they  would  lose 
a  pitched  battle.  Consequently  they  confined 
themselves  to  attacks  from  the  cover  of  the 
dense  forests,  and  in  this  way  many  a  bucca- 
neer  was  killed." 

"  Weren't  the  Englishmen  able  to  find  any. 
thing  to  eat  while  on  the  way  ?  "  asked  Enrique, 

"  Very  little  indeed,"  replied  Harlan,  "  un- 
til the  ninth  day,  when  they  came  to  the 
outskirts  of  this  city.  What  they  saw  there 
was  very  pleasing  to  these  hungry  men.  On 
the   broad,  level  land  the  other  side  of  that 


48     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

bridge  we  just  crossed  were  great  herds  of 
cattle." 

"  ril  wager  they  made  a  rush  for  them/' 
said  Vasco. 

"  They  did,  you  may  be  sure,"  continued 
Harlan,  "and  so  hungry  were  the  men  that 
they  would  hardly  stop  even  to  cook  the  meat. 

"Their  hunger  satisfied,  Morgan  and  his 
men  moved  on,  and  very  soon  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  roofs  and  towers  of  the  city.  Then  what 
a  shout  went  up  1  The  pirates,  tired  as  they 
were,  tossed  their  caps  in  the  air  and  rushed 
forward  with  cheers.  Drums  were  also  beaten, 
and  the  invaders  acted  like  crazy  men  at  the 
thought  of  securing  the  rich  treasure  that  lay 
in  the  city  before  them. 

"  Many  of  them  wished  to  charge  on  the 
city  and  capture  it  at  once,  but  their  leader 
gave  wiser  counsel,  and  the  pirates  went  into 
camp  for  the  night,  intending  to  move  forward 
early  in  the  morning." 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        49 

"  I  should  think  the  pirates  would  have  been 
afraid  to  attack  the  city,"  said  Vasco,  "for  there 
must  have  been  many  Spanish  soldiers  on 
guard  there." 

Probably  Vasco  had  a  higher  opinion  of 
Spanish  bravery  than  did  Harlan,  but  the 
young  American  gave  no  hint  of  his  real 
thought.  He  simply  said :  "  The  pirates 
were  the  most  desperate  men  on  earth,  and  in 
their  position  it  was  win  or  die,  for  they  could 
expect  no  quarter,  and  could  not  retreat  over 
the  path  by  which  they  had  come. 

"It  is  true,"  continued  Harlan,  "that  the 
Spaniards  greatly  outnumbered  the  buccaneers, 
and  they  tried  all  sorts  of  schemes  to  defend 
the  city.  Among  other  things,  they  col- 
lected a  great  herd  of  bulls  and  drove  them 
into  the  pirates'  ranks  with  the  hope  that  such 
disorder  would  be  created  as  to  make  easy  the 
enemy's  destruction. 

"  But  all  that  could  be  done  in  defence  was 


5o      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

useless  against  the  villains  who  were  greedy  for 
gold.  No  mercy  was  shown,  and  death  was 
the  lot  of  all  on  either  side  who  fell  into  the 
hands  of  their  foes. 

"  After  fierce  fighting,  which  continued  sev- 
eral days,  Morgan  and  his  men  got  into  the 
city.  Immediately  the  search  for  treasure  was 
begun.  Every  house  and  building  was  ran- 
sacked, and  if  any  inhabitant  dared  to  resist,  his 
life  was  immediately  taken.  Even  helpless 
women  and  children  were  not  spared." 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  killed  those  who 
were  unable  to  resist  them,"  said  Vasco. 

"  One  reason  why  the  pirates  were  so  mer- 
ciless was  because  of  their  disappointment. 
Though  they  did  find  vast  stores  of  silver  and 
gold,  in  many  houses  they  were  unable  to  find 
anything  of  value.  This  was  because  some  of 
the  people  who  lived  in  the  city  had  hidden 
their  treasure  —  in  many  cases  burying  it  deep 
in  the  ground." 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        51 

"  That  is  so,"  interrupted  Enrique,  "  and  I 
have  heard  my  father  tell  of  seeing  people  come 
here  to  dig  for  buried  gold.  I  never  heard, 
though,  that  any  one   found  much." 

"  Let  Harlan  go  on  with  his  story,"  said 
Vasco,  sharply.  "  I  want  to  hear  how  Mor- 
gan succeeded.  Besides,  I'm  beginning  to  get 
hungry." 

"There  isn't  much  more  to  tell,"  said  the 
young  American.  "When  the  pirates  had 
finished  their  hunt  they  set  fire  to  the  city.  At 
the  same  time  they  went  on  killing  the  people. 
Special  vengeance  was  visited  on  the  priests, 
for  the  robbers  had  been  unable  to  find  the 
great  store  of  plate  which  the  Church  was 
supposed  to  possess. 

"  Morgan  stayed  here  four  weeks,  taking 
everything  of  value,  both  on  land  and  in 
the  harbour.  It  is  said  that  when  he  finally 
left  the  place  it  took  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  mules  to  carry  the  plunder." 


52     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  What  became  of  Morgan  finally  ?  "  asked 
Vasco. 

"  Soon  after  his  capture  of  Panama,  I 
believe,"  replied  Harlan,  "  he  was  appointed 
by  King  Charles  the  Second  of  England  as 
deputy  governor  of  Jamaica.  Afterward  King 
James  the  Second  removed  him  and  threw  him 
into  prison  for  his  crimes." 

"  And  good  enough  for  him  !  "  was  Vasco's 
comment. 

Just  at  this  time  Juan  appeared  in  the  door- 
way of  the  hut.  "  Come,  boys,  let's  have 
something  to  eat,"  he  said. 

That  was  an  invitation  none  of  them  cared 
to  refuse,  and  they  responded  as  only  three 
hungry  boys  could. 

Outside  on  a  rude  bench  was  spread  the 
fresh  fish  that  Juan  knew  so  well  how  to  cook 
over  his  camp-fire,  together  with  Vasco*s  boiled 
eggs,  potatoes,  plaintains,  and  all  sorts  of  vege- 
tables and  fruit.     The  sail  and  the  long  walk 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        53 

had  added  zest  to  appetites  always  splendid, 
and  the  good  things  on  the  bench  disappeared 
as  if  by  magic. 

"  I  must  say,"  said  Harlan,  "  that  that's 
about  the  best  tasting  fish  I  ever  ate.  And  I 
have  eaten  a  good  many  kinds,  too." 

Juan,  silent  like  most  of  his  race,  said  noth- 
ing in  reply  to  the  compHment,  but  a  significant 
look  and  a  grunt  of  satisfaction  showed  that 
he  appreciated  the  American  boy's  remark. 

The  boys  finished  their  meal  with  generous 
mugs  of  hot  cocoa.  Juan  was  an  expert  in  its 
preparation,  but  to  his  own  particular  draught 
he  added  a  seasoning  of  chili  pepper.  This  he 
drank  boiling  hot,  —  a  process  which  would 
have  terribly  scalded  the  mouths  and  throats 
of  his  visitors,  but  the  Indian  swallowed  the 
hot  mixture  without  any  trouble  and  with 
much  satisfaction. 

Vasco  and  his  friends  looked  on  in  amaze- 
ment, and  were  all  the  more  surprised  when 


54     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Juan  told  them  that  in  years  gone  by  it  was 
the  fashion  of  his  forefathers  to  sit  upon 
the  ground  with  open  mouths  while  their 
squaws  poured  the  boiling  mixture  down  their 
throats. 

Their  generous  dinner  disposed  of,  Vasco 
suggested  that  they  immediately  begin  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  old  city.  This  was  agreed  to 
by  the  others,  and  under  Juan's  guidance  they 
at  once  made  their  way  into  the  dense  jungle 
which  had  grown  up  about  the  ruins. 

Neither  of  the  Panama  boys  was  very  ro- 
mantic in  disposition,  but  Vasco  could  not  help 
thinking  of  the  pirates  of  whom  Harlan  had 
told,  —  how  they  had  trod  this  very  ground, 
and  how  back  and  forth  Spaniards  and  bucca- 
neers had  swept  in  bloody  battle.  All  the 
military  ardour  which  had  been  born  in  his 
breast  was  aroused,  and  he  even  caught  him- 
self wishing  that  he  had  been  there  to  help 
defend  the  city.     Little  did  he    realize   how 


THE  TOWER  OF  THE  OLD  CATHEDRAL 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        55 

much  less  enchanting  was  the  experience  than 
the  story. 

It  is  not  possible  to  describe  all  that  the 
boys  saw.  As  they  wandered  back  and  forth 
they  imagined  that  here  was  a  market-place, 
and  there  was  the  residence  of  some  rich  old 
Spanish  trader.  Over  yonder  was  all  that  re- 
mained of  a  bishop's  palace,  and  near  by  may 
have  been  the  governor's  abode. 

The  old  cathedral  was  easily  identified  by 
the  tower  which  still  stands.  Within  its  walls 
the  boys  went  and  gazed  with  awe  upon  the 
ancient  altar  on  which  Pizarro,  the  adventurous 
explorer  and  conqueror,  had  left  an  offering  to 
the  Holy  Virgin  before  starting  on  his  voyage 
to  Peru. 

Time  passed  swiftly,  however,  and  it  was 
Enrique  who  discovered  that  the  sun  was  fast 
setting. 

"  We  must  soon  be  starting,"  he  said  to 
Vasco,  "  if  we  are  to  get  home  before  dark." 


56       Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Harlan,  who  overheard  what^  Enrique  said, 
was  anxious  to  start  immediately,  for  he  knew 
his  mother  would  be  worried  if  he  were  late. 

So  bidding  Juan  good-bye  and  thanking  him 
profusely  for  his  kindness  to  them,  the  boys 
took  up  their  homeward  march  across  the  old 
bridge  and  along  the  coast.  Not  so  much 
time  was  spent  on  the  way  as  in  the  morning, 
for  now  they  were  intent  only  on  getting  home. 

The  boat  was  found  safely  fast  where  they 
had  left  it,  and,  quickly  spreading  the  sail, 
they  were  soon  speeding  across  the  blue  waters 
of  the  bay.  The  sail  was  a  delightful  one, 
the  cool  breeze  fanning  their  cheeks  while  the 
slanting  rays  of  the  sun  cast  a  glory  over  the 
scene  which  subdued  their  boyish  spirits  and 
filled  them  with  awe  as  they  gazed  about  them. 

Before  long,  however,  they  arrived  at  the 
water-front  of  the  city.  Here  was  a  busy, 
bustling  scene.  A  great  steamer  from  San 
Francisco  had  arrived  during  the  day,  and  a 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers        57 

gang  of  negro  labourers  was  busily  transfer- 
ring the  freight  from  its  capacious  hold  to 
the  cars  which  stood  alongside  on  the  dock. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  Isthmus  the  process 
would  have  to  be  repeated  in  a  reverse  man- 
ner. The  freight  would  be  unloaded  from  the 
cars  and  shipped  to  New  York,  New  Orleans, 
Liverpool,  and  other  ports  of  the  United 
States  and  Europe. 

At  the  same  time  numerous  small  boats 
were  drawn  up  near  the  beach,  discharging 
fish,  poultry,  fruit,  and  various  cargoes.  Here 
the  boys  saw  a  sight  which  was  new  even  to 
Vasco,  though  he  had  seen  about  everything 
that  went  on  in  Panama.  A  small  schooner 
from  up  the  coast  had  brought  in  a  cargo  of  live 
pigs  for  the  Panama  market.  The  vessel  was 
not  made  fast  to  a  wharf  and  the  pigs  taken 
out  over  a  gangplank,  but  it  was  moored  as 
near  the  beach  as  safety  would  allow.  Then 
the  pigs  were  dumped  overboard   and   com- 


58      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

pelled  to  swim  for  land,  where  they  were 
caught.  Later  they  would  be  slaughtered  and 
their  carcasses  exposed  for  sale  in  the  market- 
place. 

The  sight  of  the  squealing,  swimming  pigs 
was  very  amusing  to  Vasco  and  Harlan,  and 
they  watched  with  glee  the  unloading  of  the 
whole  boat-load  before  they  went  ashore. 

"  What  queer-looking  pigs  those  are !  "  said 
Harlan. 

"Why?"  Vasco  asked. 

"  See  how  lean  they  are,  and  what  long 
snouts  they  have  !  " 

"  Well,  isn't  that  the  way  all  pigs  look  ? " 

"  Not  up  in  my  country, "  replied  Harlan. 
"  Those  that  I  have  seen  were  so  fat  that  they 
could  hardly  move.  These  pigs  are  not  at  all 
like  them ;  though  I  have  heard  that  in  the 
Southern  States  many  of  the  wild  hogs  are  thin 
and  long-legged." 

Soon  the  boys  bade  each  other  good  night. 


Story  of  the  Buccaneers         59 

and  Vasco  went  to  his  home  ready  for  the 
supper  his  mother  had  prepared  for  him. 
Not  long  afterward  he  went  to  bed,  thoroughly 
tiredj  but  very  much  pleased  with  his  day's 
outing.  If  he  dreamed  at  all  that  night  there 
must  have  appeared  a  strange  mixture  of 
Spaniards  and  pirates  and  Indians  and  ruins 
and  —  pigs ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

AN    EARTHQUAKE 

"  Vasco/*  called  his  mother  to  him  early- 
one  morning  a  few  days  later,  "  I  want  you  to 
get  up  and  go  to  market  for  me." 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  don't  want  to  get  up  now," 
said  Vasco. 

"  No  matter,'*  replied  his  mother,  "  you'll 
want  something  to  eat  by  and  by,  so  hurry 
up." 

Vasco  knew  it  was  no  use  to  protest  further, 
and,  as  the  process  of  dressing  was  a  very  short 
one  with  him,  he  soon  was  ready  to  do  his 
mother's  errand. 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  get  this  morn- 
ing ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  want  you  to  get  some  potatoes  and  peas 
60 


An  Earthquake  6i 

and  rice  and  half  a  yard  of  beef,"  his  mother 
replied,  as  she  handed  him  a  basket. 

It  sounds  strange  to  hear  about  a  yard  of 
beef,  doesn't  it?  Vasco  did  not  think  so, 
though,  for  in  Panama  beef,  instead  of  being 
sold  by  the  pound,  is  often  cut  into  long  strips 
and  sold  by  the  yard. 

By  the  time  Vasco  was  all  ready  to  start  his 
sister  Inez  was  up. 

"  May  I  go  with  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Of  course,  if  you  want  to.     Come  on." 

So  together  they  trotted  out  of  the  house 
and  off  to  market. 

Inez  looked  about  her  with  wide-open  eyes, 
for  her  visits  to  the  market,  especially  in  the 
early  morning,  had  been  very  rare. 

"  See  what  a  lot  of  donkeys  standing  over 
there,"  said  the  little  girl,  pointing  across  the 
street. 

"  Yes ;  they  belong  to  the  fruit-sellers  you 
see    here.     The  animals  stand  there  all    day 


62        Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

long,  and  at  night,  when  their  masters  and 
mistresses  have  sold  all  their  stock,  they  ride 
home  on  the  backs  of  the  donkeys.  Some  of 
them  go  many  miles  into  the  country,  too." 

But  other  sights  soon  attracted  Inez's  at- 
tention, and  the  donkeys  were  forgotten. 

Many  of  the  buyers  were  women  cooks 
dressed  in  red  and  yellow  and  green  and  bright 
colours  of  all  sorts.  They  made  the  place  look 
very  brilliant. 

Soon,  however,  Vasco  had  done  his  errands 
and  with  Inez  hurried  home  for  breakfast. 

Sometimes,  in  the  evening,  Vasco  would  go 
out  with  his  mother  and  Inez  and  little  Carlos. 

On  Sunday  evenings,  as  you  have  already 
learned,  they  went  to  the  plaza  and  listened 
with  rapt  attention  to  the  band  concert. 

Quite  often,  on  these  occasions,  Vasco's 
father,  the  lieutenant,  would  have  a  leave  of 
absence  from  his  military  duties,  and  would  go 
with  his  family.     Then  Vasco  was  supremely 


An  Earthquake  6^ 

happy,  for  he  was  extremely  proud  of  the 
gorgeous  uniform  which  his  father  wore,  and 
felt  as  if  some  of  the  military  glory  were 
reflected  upon  him. 

Since  Panama  had  become  an  independent 
nation,  much  patriotic  music  had  been  played 
at  these  concerts,  and  the  large  crowds  were 
always  enthusiastic. 

On  one  Sunday  evening,  soon  after  the 
boy's  visit  to  Old  Panama,  all  the  members  of 
the  family  except  little  Carlos  were  listening 
to  Vasco's  tales  of  the  sights  he  had  seen  in 
the  old  city.  He  also  was  repeating  the  story 
of  the  buccaneers  that  Harlan  had  told  him. 

Lieutenant  Barretas  was  especially  interested 
in  what  Vasco  said  about  the  treasure  buried 
amid  the  ancient  ruins. 

"  Our  ancestors,"  he  said  to  his  son,  "  were 
not  the  only  ones  who  left  their  wealth  buried 
in  the  ground  about  here.  The  pirates  who 
so    cruelly    robbed  the    early   settlers    of   the 


64      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

country  often  hid  their  ill-gotten  gains  in 
caves  in  the  sand  on  the  shore  or  upon  some 
barren  island.  Then  they  sailed  away,  and 
sometimes  never  returned  to  secure  their  treas- 
ure. If  the  stories  were  to  be  believed,  all  we 
need  to  do  to  obtain  untold  wealth  is  to  take 
picks  and  spades  and  turn  up  the  earth  along 
the  coast  of  our  country  or  on  the  islands  near 
its  shores. 

"  Years  ago  a  good  many  people  actually 
spent  much  time  searching  for  hidden  gold. 
I  remember  hearing  my  grandfather  tell  of  a 
neighbour  who  formed  one  of  a  party  that  went 
to  Cocos  Island  for  such  a  purpose. 

"  It  seems  that  many  years  before  a  dying 
pirate  had  confided  to  an  old  countryman,  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  that  a  vast  store  of  gold 
was  buried  on  Cocos  Island." 

"  I  have  heard  of  that  place,"  interrupted 
Vasco.  "  Some  of  the  sailors  whom  Enrique 
and  I  know  have  mentioned  it.     The  island  is 


An  Earthquake  65 

several  hundred  miles  from  Panama,  and  there 
are  no  people  living  on  it." 

"  That  is  true/'  said  the  lieutenant.  "Well, 
this  carpenter  was  nearly  mad  with  joy  at 
the  information  the  dying  pirate  gave  him. 
He  thought  surely  that  his  fortune  was  made. 
No  more  hard  work  for  him  !  All  he  needed 
to  do  was  to  dig  up  the  treasure,  and  for 
the  rest  of  his  life  enjoy  ease  and  freedom 
from  care." 

"  I  don't  much  blame  him,  father,  do  you  ?  " 
asked  Vasco. 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  do,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I'll  admit  I  wouldn't  mind  digging  up  a  pot 
or  two  of  gold  myself,  though  I  don't  beHeve 
that  we  take  so  much  stock  in  the  stories  of 
hidden  wealth  as  our  fathers  and  grandfathers 
did. 

"  With  this  carpenter,  however,  it  was  a 
pretty  serious  question  how  he  was  going  to 
get  to  Cocos  Island  and  secure  the  treasure. 


66      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

He  knew  the  Island  was  a  desert  place  and  far 
from  shore.  It  would  be  necessary  to  have 
a  ship,  a  good  store  of  provisions,  and  tools 
with  which  to  do  the  digging,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  a  company  of  men  to  help  him.  All 
this  required  much  money,  and  our  poor  car- 
penter had  none.  But  he  was  possessed  of 
a  large  amount  of  courage  and  perseverance, 
and  he  managed  after  a  time  to  enlist  the  help 
of  men  of  means,  who  furnished  the  capital  for 
the  expedition. 

"  Many  hardships  were  endured  by  the  little 
band  of  men  who  made  up  the  carpenter's 
company,  but  they  finally  arrived  at  the 
island. 

"  The  pirate  had  not  made  very  clear  the 
exact  location  of  the  hidden  gold,  and  as 
the  island  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  trees  and  vines,  the  search  was  a  heartless 
task  from  the  beginning.  The  men,  however, 
got    to    work,    and    with    picks    and    spades 


An  Earthquake  67 

and  gunpowder  managed  to  uncover  a  large 
part  of  the  island.'* 

"And  did  they  find  the  gold?"  asked 
Vasco,  his  face  now  aglow  with  excitement. 

"  Not  any,"  replied  his  father.  "  Several 
months  they  dug  and  blasted,  but  all  in  vain. 
No  sign  of  chest,  box,  silver,  or  gold  was 
found.  Day  after  day  the  search  continued. 
Finally  the  provisions  became  exhausted,  the 
men  grew  disheartened,  and  a  weary,  disap- 
pointed company  of  men  returned  to  Panama." 

Just  as  Vasco's  father  finished  his  story  a 
strange  rumbling  noise  was  heard.  You  would 
have  wondered  what  it  was,  and  perhaps  have 
been  a  little  frightened.  The  Barretas  family, 
however,  knew  in  a  moment  what  had 
happened. 

"  An  earthquake  !  "  cried  Vasco. 

Even  as  he  spoke  two  or  three  tiles  fell 
from  the  roof  into  the  street.  A  startling 
clatter  breaking   the   stillness   of  the  evening 


68      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

proved  that  the  tiles  had  been  shaken  loose 
from  neighbouring  houses,  also. 

"  We  'd  better  get  out  quick,"  cried  the 
lieutenant,  and  he  made  a  dash  for  the  door. 

Vasco  and  his  mother  were  more  thoughtful 
about  the  younger  children,  and,  while  the 
mother  rushed  into  the  bedroom  after  Carlos, 
Vasco  took  Inez  by  the  arm  and  followed 
closely  on  his  father's  heels. 

In  a  moment  the  whole  family  was  in  the 
street. 

"  Get  away  from  the  house ! "  shouted 
Vasco's  father.  "  The  tiles  are  likely  to  fall 
upon  you  if  you  don't." 

To  the  middle  of  the  street  they  all  dashed, 
where  they  were  quickly  surrounded  by  a 
noisy,  chattering  mob  of  men,  women,  and 
children. 

Again  the  earth  seemed  to  shake  and  to 
shiver,  and  the  shrieks  and  moans  of  fright- 
ened  women   and  children  were  accompanied 


An  Earthquake  69 

by  the  sound  of  more  falling  tiles  and  cracking 
timbers. 

The  experience  was  truly  fearful,  even  to 
the  older  and  wiser  ones.  The  terror  of  the 
young  children  was  something  to  excite  pity  in 
the  most  hardened  breast.  It  was  only  by  the 
utmost  efforts  and  constant  reassurance  that  no 
harm  would  come  to  her  that  Vasco  was  able 
to  quiet  his  sister  Inez.  Even  after  her  cries 
had  become  stilled  she  trembled  like  a  leaf. 

Fortunately  the  shock  was  a  light  one.  and 
the  shaking  and  trembling  of  the  earth  were 
soon  over.  Lieutenant  Barretas  and  his 
family  returned  within  their  house  none  the 
worse  for  the  adventure,  and  went  to  bed,  but 
many  of  their  neighbours  lingered  in  the  street 
for  hours  —  some  even  until  daylight,  when 
the  terror  of  the  night  was  dissipated  by  the 
cheerful  rays  of  the  rising  sun. 

The  earthquake  had  been  a  mild  one  com- 
pared with  some  instances  of  previous  years. 


yo      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

In  September,  1882,  the  city  had  been  vis- 
ited in  the  night  by  a  terrible  shock.  The 
darkness  always  adds  intensely  to  the  terror 
of  the  people.  On  this  occasion  men  and 
women  of  all  classes  —  high  and  low  —  had 
rushed  to  the  street.  Great  hotels  were  emp- 
tied in  a  few  moments,  many  guests  not  stop- 
ping even  to  put  on  clothing. 

The  great  plaza  was  one  vast  mass  of 
shouting,  crying  people,  while  the  earth  heaved 
and  the  air  quivered  as  it  had  never  done  in 
the  memory  of  the  inhabitants.  Many  houses 
were  ruined,  much  property  destroyed,  and 
it  is  said  that  some  even  died   from   fright. 

At  daybreak  new  courage  revived  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  but  for  several  nights 
the  plaza  was  occupied  by  tents  and  all  sorts 
of  rude  shelters  for  thousands  who  dared  not 
sleep  in  their  houses. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

A   JOURNEY 

A  FEW  days  after  the  earthquake,  early  in 
the  forenoon,  there  came  a  rap  at  the  door  of 
Vasco's  home.  Inez,  always  alert,  ran  to  the 
door,  and,  throwing  it  open,  saw  Harlan 
Andrews  standing  there. 

"  Good  morning,  Inez,"  said  the  young 
American. 

Inez  had  become  quite  well  acquainted  with 
Harlan  because  of  his  many  visits  to  Vasco, 
and  was  always  glad  to  see  him.  So  she  gave 
a  cheerful  smile  and  hearty  response  to  his 
greeting,  and  invited  him  to  enter. 

"  Is  Vasco  at  home  ?  "  asked  Harlan,  as  he 
came  into  the  living-room. 

"  Yes,    he    is    out    in    the    courtyard.      If 

you  will  sit  down  I  will  call  him." 

71 


72      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Harlan  thought  he  was  quite  fortunate  to 
find  Vasco.  Generally  at  this  time  of  day 
he  was  out  upon  the  streets  with  other  boys 
of  his  age. 

In  a  moment  Vasco  came  into  the  house, 
and,  boylike,  Harlan  stated  his  errand  without 
any  preliminary  conversation. 

"  Father  is  going  to  make  a  trip  to  Colon  in 
connection  with  his  canal  work,  and  will  spend 
some  time  on  the  way,  particularly  at  the  Cu- 
lebra  cut.  Perhaps,  too,  he  will  go  up  the 
Chagres  River  to  the  place  where  it  is  pro- 
posed to  build  the  big  dam.  He  is  going 
to  take  me  with  him,  and  says  I  may  invite 
you  to  go  along." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  fine  !  "  exclaimed  Vasco, 
and  he  fairly  jumped  up  and  down  with  glee. 
In  fact,  he  was  so  overwhelmed  by  the  thought 
of  the  proposed  journey  that  he  nearly  forgot 
to  thank  Harlan  for  the  invitation.  W^hen  he 
did  come  to  his  senses,  his  gratitude  was  profuse, 


A  Journey  73 

and  his  tongue  could  not  begin  to  express  his 
thoughts. 

Then  again,  after  a  few  moments,  he  re- 
membered that  this  trip  was  for  more  than 
a  day,  perhaps  for  more  than  a  week,  and 
it  might  be  necessary  to  consult  his  parents 
before  accepting  the  invitation.  At  once  he 
turned  to  his  mother,  who  had  overheard  all 
the  conversation. 

"  Are  you  willing  I  should  go  with 
Harlan  ?  "  Vasco  inquired. 

For  a  moment  his  mother  did  not  reply, 
and  the  boy  was  very  anxious  for  fear  that 
when  she  did  give  her  answer  it  might  not 
be  favourable. 

Finally  the  seflora  said,  "  If  your  father  has 
no  objection,  I  think  I  am  willing  to  let  you 

go." 

"  Then  Til  go  now  to  ask  him.     Come  on, 

Harlan,"  said  Vasco. 

The  lieutenant  was  stationed  in  the  city  at 


74     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

this  time,  so  the  boys  had  not  far  to  go. 
Vasco  did  not  anticipate  any  great  difficulty  in 
gaining  his  father's  consent  to  the  journey. 
As  the  result  proved,  his  hopes  were  well 
founded,  for  Lieutenant  Barretas  was  quite 
willing  his  son  should  go  anywhere,  provided 
he  was  in   Mr.  Andrews's  care. 

"  It's  all  right,  then,"  said  Harlan  when  the 
matter  was  decided.  "  Meet  me  at  the  railway 
station  next  Monday  morning  at  eight  o'clock." 
This  was  Friday. 

For  Vasco,  the  two  days  between  Friday 
and  Monday  passed — oh,  so  slowly!  It 
seemed  as  if  they  would  never  go  by  ! 

Meanwhile,  his  mother  gave  him  a  bit  of 
information  which  later  turned  out  to  be  of 
value.  "  You  say  you  may  go  up  the  Chagres 
River  ?  "  she  asked  her  son. 

"Yes,  so  Harlan  told  me,"  was  Vasco's 
reply. 

"  I    have   never   told   you   that   I    have   a 


A  Journey  75 

brother  living  in  that  part  of  the  country  — 
your  Uncle  Francisco  Herreras.  The  last  I 
knew  of  him  he  had  a  plantation  not  far  from 
Palo  Grande.  I  hope,  if  you  go  near  there, 
you  may  be  able  to  call  upon  him.  I  am  sure 
he  will  be  very  hospitable  to  you  all." 

At  last  Monday  morning  came.  Very 
early  Vasco  awoke,  ate  the  breakfast  his  mother 
made  ready  for  him,  and  long  before  the  hour 
appointed  was  ready  to  start  for  the  railway  sta- 
tion. He  was  so  impatient  to  be  on  his 
way  that  he  left  home  a  full  hour  earlier 
than  was  necessary.  Consequently,  he  had  to 
wait  a  long  time  at  the  depot. 

But  time  flies,  even  for  the  most  impatient 
lads,  and  in  due  time  Harlan  and  his  father 
made  their  appearance. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Vasco  ?  "  said  Harlan. 
"  We  are  going  to  have  a  special  train  !  " 

"  Where  is  it  ? "  asked  Vasco,  who  saw  no 
sign  of  anything  of  that  sort  in  the  depot. 


76     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Oh,  it*s  not  in  here.  It's  outside  in  the 
train-yard.  We  are  going  out  there  to  get 
aboard.'* 

Vasco  thought  this  a  little  strange,  but  felt 
that  he  could  ask  no  questions.  In  a  moment 
Mr.  Andrews  called  to  the  boys  to  follow  him, 
and  led  the  way  outside  the  station. 

Directly  they  came  in  sight  of  an  engine,  to 
which  was  attached  a  box  car  and  a  flat  car 
such  as  are  ordinarily  used  for  freight.  On 
the  flat  car  were  fixed  several  seats,  and  an 
awning  had  been  erected  as  protection  from 
the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun.  In  the  box  car 
were  well-equipped  bunks,  where  the  members 
of  the  party  might  sleep  at  night  when  better 
accommodations  were  wanting. 

"  This  is  our  special  private  car,"  said 
Harlan.     "  What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  will  suit  me  all  right,"  said 
Vasco. 

Mr.  Andrews  explained  to  the  boys  that  he 


A  Journey  77 

was  on  a  tour  of  inspection  in  connection  with 
the  canal  work,  and  this  train  had  been  placed 
at  his  disposal.  He  was  glad,  in  connection 
with  his  work,  to  give  a  pleasure  trip  to  the 
boys.  He  hoped  it  might  also  prove  an 
instructive  and  beneficial  one  to  them. 

While  Mr.  Andrews  had  been  talking  to 
the  boys  they  all  had  climbed  upon  the  flat 
car  and  taken  seats.  Then,  with  a  wave  of 
the  hand  to  the  engineer,  the  signal  was  given, 
the  throttle  opened,  and  the  train  began  its 
journey. 

Slowly  it  moved  until  away  from  the  city, 
but  when  it  had  passed  out  upon  the  beautiful 
broad  savannahs,  or  grassy  plains,  which  lie 
near  Panama  it  moved  with  greater  speed. 
To  Vasco  it  seemed  very  fast  indeed,  though 
it  was  far  otherwise  to  Harlan,  who  had  ridden 
on  the  rapid  express  trains  in  his  own  country. 

As  the  train  drew  farther  from  Panama  they 
came  to  a  more  hilly  region.     In  turn  they 


78     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

passed  through  Corozal,  Rio  Grande,  Mira- 
flores,  Pedro  Miguel,  and  Paraiso.  Most  of 
these  places  were  small  settlements.  Near  the 
little  railway  stations  would  be  seen  a  few 
wretched  houses.  What  few  inhabitants  were 
in  sight  appeared  to  be  of  native  Indian  de- 
scent and  wandered  about  in  scanty  clothing, 
with  no  apparent  occupation. 

At  Paraiso  the  train  was  run  on  to  a 
side-track. 

"  We  shall  have  to  wait  here  awhile  for  the 
regular  passenger-train  for  Panama  City  to 
pass  us,"  said  Mr.  Andrews. 

"  How  long  shall  we  have  to  wait  ? "  asked 
Harlan. 

"  Oh,  Tm  sure  I  don*t  know.  The  trains 
on  this  road  come  when  they  please  and  go 
when  they  get  ready.  You  may  as  well  take 
it  easy  till  we  can  go  on  again." 

"  How  long  does  it  take  to  run  across 
the  Isthmus  ? "  asked  Vasco. 


A  Journey  79 

"  Generally  about  three  hours  for  the  forty- 
mile  trip,  but  as  I  just  told  Harlan,  you  can't 
be  sure  of  anything  on  this  road.  They  ought 
to  give  better  service,  for  they  carry  nearly 
one  hundred  thousand  people  a  year." 

Fortunately  our  friends  did  not  have  to 
wait  very  long,  and  when  they  again  had  a 
clear  track  they  proceeded  on  their  way. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  big  job  to  build 
this  road,"  said  Vasco,  as  they  rode  on. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Andrews,  "  it  was  a 
great  triumph  of  American  genius.  During  it? 
construction  multitudes  of  men  were  killed  by 
the  deadly  fever,  but  finally  Chinese  labourers 
were  imported  and  successfully  completed  the 
work,  though  even  many  of  these  Oriental 
coolies  died." 

The  train  whirled  on  through  rocky  hills 
and  valleys  luxuriant  with  tropical  foliage.  As 
it  approached  Culebra  Mountain  Vasco's  eyes 
opened    wide   at    the    sights    he    saw.      From 


8o     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

the  main  track  various  spurs  were  laid,  on 
which  stood  giant  steam-shovels. 

Pointing  to  one  of  them,  Mr.  Andrews 
said :  "  That  scoop  will  dig  out  of  the  moun- 
tain a  ton  of  earth  at  a  time.  Then  it  is 
swung  around  and  its  load  emptied  into  a 
gravel-car.  In  this  manner  train-load  after 
train-load  is  taken  from  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tain each  day  and  hauled  away  and  dumped 
either  into  a  valley  or  into  the  sea  at  Colon." 

Vasco  also  saw  large  gangs  of  men  at  work 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  Most  of  them 
were  negroes  from  Jamaica.  As  the  boys 
watched  them  at  their  labour  Harlan  said  to 
his  friend :  "  Well,  those  fellows  can't  be  ac- 
cused of  trying  to  work  themselves  but  of  a 
job.  I  reckon  they  would  m.ove  livelier  than 
that  if  they  were  at  work  on  some  of  our 
American  railroads." 


THAT    SCOOP    WILL    DIG    OUT    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN    A 
TON    OF    EARTH    AT    A    TIME'" 


CHAPTER   VII. 

CULEBRA 

At  the  Culebra  station  Mr.  Andrews's  train 
stopped.  "  Now,  boys/'  he  said,  "  it  is  nearly 
noon.  We  will  see  what  we  can  get  for 
dinner,  and  then  I  shall  have  to  leave  you  to 
yourselves  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  I  have 
considerable  business  to  which  I  must  attend. 
All  I  ask  is  that  you  keep  out  of  danger 
and  show  up  at  supper-time.  We  shall  sleep 
in  the  car  to-night  and  to-morrow  go  on  our 
way  to  Colon." 

"  That  will  give  us  the  whole  afternoon  to 
look  about  this  place,  and  I  think  we  can 
manage  to  see  a  lot  in  that  time,"  said  Harlan. 

"  I'm  glad  we're  going  to  have  some  dinner 

first,"  said  Vasco,  "for  Tm  hungry." 

8i 


82     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  Come  on,  then/*  said  Mr.  Andrews,  and 
he  led  the  way  to  a  large  wooden  shanty  a  few 
rods  from  the  station.  The  building  was  dig- 
nified with  the  title  of  a  "  hotel,"  and  served  as 
a  boarding-place  for  the  American  overseers  of 
the  gangs  of  men  at  work  in  the  Culebra  cut. 
Here  the  three  sat  down  to  a  generous  meal. 
There  was  not  much  style  about  it,  but  Mr. 
Andrews  cared  little  for  that,  and  certainly  the 
boys  were  not  fussy. 

Dinner  over,  the  boys  were  left  to  their  own 
devices. 

"  I  tell  you  what  let's  do,"  said  Vasco. 
"  We'll  climb  to  the  top  of  Culebra  Hill  this 
afternoon.  We  can  get  a  splendid  view  of  the 
country,  and  we  can  certainly  get  back  in  time 
for  supper." 

"  That  suits  me,"  said  Harlan. 

At  once  they  started.  From  the  level  of 
the  railway  tracks,  the  climb  at  first  was  up  the 
steep  and  slippery  banks  that  had  been  made 


Culebra  83 

by  the  steam-shovels.  Many  times  the  boys 
lost  their  foothold  and  slid  backward,  only  to 
renew  the  struggle  and  clamber  upward  once 
more. 

As  they  got  higher  up  their  progress  was 
hindered  by  the  dense  undergrowth  of  shrubs 
and  vines,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  make 
many  a  turn  and  twist  in  their  path.  In  some 
places  they  could  not  get  through  the  bushes, 
and  had  to  tramp  a  long  way  around  to  gain  a 
few  yards  toward  the  summit. 

Finally  their  perseverance  was  rewarded,  and 
they  stood  upon  the  top  of  the  great  hill. 
Such  a  scene  was  spread  before  them  as  is 
seldom  witnessed.  In  the  immediate  fore- 
ground far  below  them  they  could  see  the 
hundreds  of  men  at  work.  They  looked 
hardly  larger  than  ants  and  not  half  so  active. 
Here  also  they  saw  the  labourers'  camp,  — 
a  collection  of  rude  shanties  closely  huddled 
together. 


84     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Looking  farther  out,  the  scene  was  more 
attractive.  Down  through  the  valleys  the  rich- 
looking  tropical  foliage  made  a  picture  no  artist 
could  reproduce,  and  even  boyish  spirits  were 
subdued  as  Vasco  and  Harlan  gazed  about  them. 
In  the  distance  ridge  upon  ridge  of  hills  arose, 
adding  grandeur  to  the  magnificent  view. 

Awe-inspiring  as  was  the  handiwork  of  na- 
ture spread  before  them,  to  these  boys  the 
great  work  which  man  was  here  undertaking 
seemed  even  more  wonderful.  The  scores  of 
steam-shovels  in  sight  were  scooping  up  tons 
upon  tons  of  earth  every  hour.  Vasco  could 
hardly  believe  it  when  Harlan  told  him  that  it 
would  take  years  to  complete  the  work  of 
cutting  through  the  mountain.  The  great 
valleys  in  the  locality  would  be  entirely  filled 
with  the  earth,  and  thousands  of  car-loads 
were  to  be  hauled  to  Colon  and  dumped  into 
the  Atlantic. 

Little  did  those  early  Spanish  explorers  and 


Culebra  85 

English  buccaneers  who  travelled  over  this 
country  imagine  that  great  ships  —  many 
times  larger  than  any  they  ever  dreamed  of — 
would  be  sailing  through  this  mountain. 

Vasco  could  hardly  fancy  such  a  thing  now, 
but  Harlan,  with  sublime  confidence  in  Ameri- 
can skill  and  force,  had  perfect  faith  in  the  early 
completion  of  the  Panama  canal.  Certainly 
here  before  him  was  splendid  evidence  of 
American  purpose. 

When  the  boys  had  become  thoroughly  rested 
after  their  hard  climb,  and  had  concluded  that 
there  were  no  more  worlds  to  conquer  in  this 
direction,  they  began  to  think  of  returning 
to  the  camp.  The  declining  sun  also  reminded 
them  that  it  was  time  to  be  on  the  move. 
Possibly,  also,  a  vigorous  appetite  added  to 
Vasco's  zeal  for  the  return  journey.  At  any 
rate,  he  said  to  Harlan  :  ''  What  do  you  say 
to  a  race  to  the  railway  station  ?  " 

This  suggestion  suited  the  American  boy, 


86     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

and  in  a  trice  they  were  off, —  running,  jump- 
ing, sliding,  tumbling,  dodging,  twisting,  and 
turning  in  the  race  for  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
There  was  just  enough  danger  in  it  to  add 
interest  to  the  contest. 

In  the  end  Vasco  won,  though  Harlan 
pressed  him  closely  all  the  way.  Several  times, 
indeed,  he  seemed  to  gain  the  lead,  his  shrewd- 
ness and  good  judgment  proving  nearly  a 
match  for  the  sturdy  limbs  and  deep  breath  of 
his  opponent. 

The  race  over,  the  boys  wandered  about 
watching  the  shifting  gravel-trains,  the  giant 
steam-shovels  in  operation,  the  hundreds  of 
men  at  work,  and  toward  the  close  of  the  day 
returned  to  the  car. 

Here  they  found  Mr.  Andrews,  and  with 
him  went  to  supper.  At  an  early  hour  there- 
after they  turned  into  their  bunks  in  the 
"  sleeping-car,"  where,  with  nets  protecting 
them     from    hungry    mosquitos    and    other 


Culebra  87 

insects,  they  soundly  slumbered  through  the 
night. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  three  travellers 
were  again  on  their  way,  for  Mr.  Andrews  was 
anxious  to  get  to  Colon.  They  did  not  even 
go  to  the  "  hotel  '*  for  breakfast,  but  ate  some 
canned  food  which  had  been  brought  along 
in  the  "sleeper."  Taking  his  meals  on  a  rail- 
way train  was  a  novelty  for  Vasco,  —  more  so 
than  a  dinner  in  the  finest  Pullman  dining-car 
would  have  been  to  Harlan.  None  the  less, 
Harlan  enjoyed  the  novelty  of  the  situation 
as  much  as  his  Panama  friend. 

Breakfast  eaten,  the  boys  devoted  them- 
selves to  watching  the  scenery  along  the  route. 
The  forests  through  which  they  passed 
abounded  in  all  sorts  cf  bird  and  animal 
life. 

As  the  train  whirled  along,  the  boys  caught 
glimpses  of  wild  turkeys,  bright-coloured  ma- 
caws  and  parrots,  as  well   as  of  innumerable 


88     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

smaller  birds.  Monkeys  were  seen  darting 
about  amidst  the  foliage.  Once  also  a  drove 
of  peccaries  was  seen  scuttling  away  through 
the  undergrowth.  These  little  animals  resem- 
ble the  Virginia  wild  hog  in  shape,  and  are 
black  in  colour.  The  natives  of  Panama  kill 
them  for  food. 

The  trees  were  innumerable  in  variety.  Be- 
sides the  ordinary  oak,  cedar,  beech,  and  ash, 
were  seen  teak,  rosewood,  mahogany,  and 
ebony  in  abundance.  When  they  become 
more  accessible,  these  will  bring  fortunes  to 
their  possessors. 

Vasco  called  particular  attention  to  the  ma- 
caw-trees. He  said  they  bore  a  very  palatable 
fruit  about  the  size  of  a  pear,  with  a  stringy 
covering  and  a  stone  in  the  centre.  In  old 
times  the  Indians  were  very  fond  of  it,  and 
recklessly  cut  down  thousands  of  trees  for  the 
sake  of  the  fruit  alone.  They  used  the  black 
and  very  hard  wood  for  arrow-heads. 


Culebra  89 

As  the  train  rolled  into  Obispo,  the  travel- 
lers got  their  first  glimpse  of  the  Chagres 
River,  which  forms  such  an  important  link 
in  the  construction  of  the  canal. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

BALBOA 

Along  the  river's  bank  the  train  sped.  As 
it  approached  Matachin  Mr.  Andrews  pointed 
to  a  high  hill  not  far  away. 

"  Do  you  know  what  hill  that  is  ?  "  he  asked 
Vasco. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Well,  you  ought  to,  for  it  is  the  spot  of 

greatest    historic    interest    in    your    country. 

Cerro  Gigante,  or  Big  Hill,  is  its  name,  and 

from  its  summit  was  gained  the  first  sight  of 

the   Pacific  Ocean.     Do   you   know  who  the 

discoverer  of  that  ocean  was  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  was  Balboa,  who  also  helped  to 

build  the  city  of  Panama.     I  have  heard  my 

father  speak  of  him." 

"  Balboa's  life  was  full  of  adventures,"  said 
90 


Balboa  91 

Mr.  Andrews,  "  and  included  many  dramatic 
incidents,  but  none  equalled  in  intensity  the 
moment  when  he  first  sighted  the  broad  blue 
Pacific,  which  he  called  the  '  Sea  of  the  South.' 
At  the  head  of  a  little  band  of  tired  Spaniards 
he  toiled  up  that  hill.  The  vision  that  met 
his  eyes  amply  repaid  him  for  all  the  hardships 
and  privations  he  had  suffered  —  and  they  had 
not  been  few." 

Vasco's  interest  was  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
and  he  asked  Mr.  Andrews  to  tell  him  more 
about  Balboa  and  his  adventures. 

"  Perhaps  I  do  not  know  very  much  about 
Balboa,  but  I  am  very  glad  to  tell  you  what 
I  can. 

"  If  I  remember  correctly,  he  was  born 
about  1475  ^^  Spain.  So  you  see  he  was  just 
coming  to  young  manhood  when  the  wonder- 
ful discovery  of  a  new  world  by  Columbus 
thrilled  every  Spanish  heart. 

"  Balboa  was  of  noble  parentage,  though  his 


92     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

family  had  become  poor.  A  few  years  after 
the  discovery  of  America  he  sailed  with  Bas- 
tides  and  coasted  up  and  down  this  country. 

"  At  first  he  was  very  successful  in  his  ven- 
tures, but  on  account  of  the  sinking  of  his  ship 
he  settled  in  Santo  Domingo,  and  undertook  to 
make  his  living  by  farming.  In  this  he  failed. 
Soon  his  savings  were  spent,  and  he  found 
himself  in  debt.  This  was  a  serious  matter 
for  Balboa,  as  under  Spanish  law  debtors  were 
shown  very  slight  consideration." 

"  Why  didn't  he  run  away  ? "  asked  Vasco. 

"  That  is  just  what  he  wanted  to  do," 
replied  Mr.  Andrews,  "  but  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  get  away  from  the  island  unob- 
served. Finally,  however,  he  made  a  desperate 
effort.  He  placed  himself  in  a  cask  and 
caused  it  to  be  carried  from  his  farm  on  board 
a  ship  that  was  ready  to  sail  for  South  America. 

"  When  well  out  to  sea,  he  appeared  to  the 
captain,  who  at  first   was  exceedingly   angry. 


Balboa  93 

The  captain  relented,  however,  after  he  had 
heard  Balboa's  story,  and  allowed  the  fugitive 
to  remain  with  him. 

"  Later,  a  wealthy  friend  supplied  funds  for 
an  expedition  of  which  Balboa  was  the  head. 
At  first  he  was  unsuccessful  and  results  were 
not  promising,  but  on  a  visit  to  the  Isthmus 
much  wealth  was  secured,  and  Balboa's  great 
success  —  the  discovery  of  the  Pacific  — was 
attained. 

"  The  building  of  the  city  of  Panama  soon 
followed.  It  was  from  that  place  that  Pizarro, 
one  of  Balboa's  companions,  a  few  years  later, 
sailed  for  Peru,  whence  such  fabulous  wealth 
was  carried  back  to  Spain.  You  saw  in  the 
ruins  of  the  old  cathedral  the  altar  where 
Pizarro  offered  sacrifice  to  the  Holy  Virgin." 

Here  Mr.  Andrews  concluded  his  story, 
and  Harlan  added : 

"You  did  not  tell  Vasco  that  Balboa  made 
friends  with  an  Indian  chief  on  the  Isthmus, 


94      Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

and  married  his  daughter.  More  than  that, 
unlike  a  lot  of  Spanish  explorers,  he  really- 
loved  his  Indian  wife  and  remained  true  to 
her  —  so  true,  in  fact,  that  he  afterward  lost 
his  life  on  her  account." 

"And  was  Balboa  finally  killed,  then?" 
asked  Vasco. 

"  Yes ;  he  was  executed  by  order  of  a  jeal- 
ous governor  of  the  Isthmus,"  replied  Mr. 
Andrews. 

"That  seems  strange,  after  all  he  had  done 
for  his  country,"  said  Vasco. 

"  I  know  it  does,"  was  Mr.  Andrews's  an- 
swer ;  "  but  that  was  the  way  Spain  often  dealt 
with  her  adventurous  explorers.  Many  of 
them  deserved  their  fate  much  more  than 
Balboa,  though." 

While  Mr.  Andrews  had  been  telling  the 
story  of  Balboa,  the  train  continued  to  roll  on. 
Gorgona,  San  Pablo,  and  Tavernilla  were 
passed   in    succession.      Bohio   was   a   special 


Balboa  95 

point  of  interest,  for  here,  as  Mr.  Andrews 
told  the  boys,  the  canal  is  to  enter  the  artificial 
lake  to  be  formed  by  a  great  dam.  When 
complete,  there  will  be  a  broad,  deep  body  of 
water  seven  miles  in  length,  affording  room  for 
anchorage  as  well  as  for  navigation. 

Gatun  was  the  next  place  of  importance, 
and  not  long  after  the  train  passed  through 
Monkey  Hill,  a  suburb  of  Colon,  and  finally 
into  the  city  of  Colon  itself. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

COLON 

Arriving  in  Colon,  as  they  did  about  mid= 
day,  the  boys  had  little  desire  to  go  sightseeing 
immediately.  The  weather  was  too  hot  and 
uncomfortable.  They  ate  dinner  at  a  hotel 
with  Mr.  Andrews,  but  it  was  decided  to  sleep 
on  board  their  car  every  night.  It  was  as 
comfortable  as  any  place  they  were  Hkely  to 
find. 

As  the  car  was  side-tracked  upon  the  railway 
dock,  they  had  the  full  benefit  of  the  sea 
breezes,  and  during  the  remainder  of  that  day 
Vasco  stayed  upon  the  car  with  Harlan,  watch- 
ing the  waves  roll  in  from  the  broad  Atlantic. 

Colon  is  situated  on  the  extreme  point  of 

land  between   Limon    and   Manzanillo   Bays. 

96 


Colon  97 

There  is  really  little  harbour,  and  in  case  of 
severe  storm  little  protection  for  shipping. 

"  Sometimes  there  are  terrible  storms  here," 
said  Harlan,  "  when  the  waves  come  in  with 
tremendous  force.'* 

"  I  can  see  along  the  shore,"  said  Vasco, 
"  where  much  damage  has  been  done." 

"  That  is  not  the  worst,  either,"  continued 
Harlan.  "  During  these  storms  many  lives 
have  been  lost.  It  was  only  a  little  while  ago 
that  one  of  the  most  severe  of  these  ^  northers  * 
attacked  this  coast.  Father  was  telling  me 
about  it,  as  he  happened  to  be  in  Colon  at  the 
time. 

"  Three  steamships  put  to  sea  for  safety  and 
remained  away  three  days.  The  gunboat  Dixie 
also  ran  out  as  quickly  as  it  could  to  escape  the 
danger.  Not  a  vessel  of  any  kind  remained  in 
the  harbour  except  two  schooners  in  the  slips 
close  by  this  station.  They  were  tied  by  a 
number  of  cables  at  a  sufficient  distance  from 


98     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

the  piers  to  prevent  damage  from  the  pitching 
and  rolling.  They  couldn't  get  away,  and  rode 
out  the  gale. 

"  Great  waves  rolled  directly  into  the  harbour, 
breaking  over  the  water-front,  and  even  the 
streets  were  filled  with  water.  From  a  number 
of  houses  the  people  had  to  get  out." 

"  It  doesn't  look  now  as  if  the  sea  ever 
could   do   such   harm,   does  it?"  said  Vasco. 

"  Indeed  it  does  not.  It  is  very  calm  and 
gentle  this  afternoon.  Father  told  me  that 
one  of  the  plans  in  connection  with  digging  the 
canal  is  the  building  of  a  big  breakwater  here." 

"  If  that  is  done  the  harbour  will  be  much 
safer,  won't  it  ? "  asked  Vasco. 

"  Yes,  and  the  entrance  to  the  canal  will  be 
less  likely  to  suffer  damage  in  a  storm,"  said 
Harlan. 

"  It  looks  as  if  a  number  of  old  wrecks  were 
strewn  along  the  shore  now,"  said  Vasco, 
indicating   at  the    time    numerous   hulks  that 


Colon  99 

appeared  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water 
along  the  shore. 

"  Those  are  relics  of  the  French  effort  to  dig 
a  canal  here.  Scores  of  scows  were  built  by 
the  De  Lesseps  company,  and  when  work  was 
given  up  they  were  left  to  decay  and  sink." 

"  Why  didn't  some  one  take  care  of  them  ?  '* 
asked  Vasco.  "  They  must  have  cost  a  lot 
of  money.* 

"  That's  one  of  the  questions  no  one  can 
answer,  any  more  than  one  can  tell  why  so 
many  costly  engines  and  steam-shovels  and 
dredges  were  left  to  rust  and  grow  useless  by 
exposure." 

"  I  remember  we  saw  some  of  them  near  the 
railway.  A  good  many  were  more  than  half- 
buried  in  the  sand,  too,"  said  Vasco. 

Thus  the  boys  whiled  away  the  afternoon, 
and  at  night,  with  Mr.  Andrews,  turned  into 
their  berths  in  the  "  sleeper." 

In  the  morning,  after  an  early  breakfast,  the 


lOO  Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

boys  started  to  explore  the  town.  They  found 
that  most  of  the  buildings  were  mere  wooden 
shanties. 

"  This  city  makes  me  think  of  some  of  the 
beach  resorts  in  my  country/'  said  Harlan. 
"  The  houses  are  just  such  flimsy  aflfairs." 

There  were  no  cellars,  and  the  houses  were 
set  up  on  stakes.  The  streets  hardly  deserved 
the  name,  and  were  littered  with  all  kinds 
of  dirt  and  filth. 

Even  Vasco,  who  could  not  be  accused  of 
being  particular,  said  that  he  much  preferred 
to  live  in  his  own   city  of  Panama. 

After  dinner,  during  the  hottest  part  of  the 
day,  the  boys  indulged  in  a  siestUy  and  later 
took  a  walk  to  Coconut  Point,  where  the 
French  had  built  a  number  of  fine  houses,  and 
cleared  and  drained  the  land  to  make  healthful 
surroundings  for  the  officers  of  the  canal 
company. 

One  specially  elegant  house  was  built  for  the 


Colon  ID  I 

sole  use  of  De  Lesseps  —  and  he  occupied 
it  less  than  one  hour.  The  whole  situation 
and  surroundings  were  ideal  and  a  splendid 
reminder  of  the  extravagance  of  the  French 
canal  company. 

At  night,  when  the  boys  returned  to  their 
car,  Mr.  Andrews  told  them  that  he  had  com- 
pleted his  business  in  Colon,  and  that  they 
would  start  on  the  return  trip  in  the  morning. 


CHAPTER   X. 

UP    THE    CHAGRES    RIVER 

After  another  night  on  the  "sleeper"  in 
Colon,  Mr.  Andrews  and  the  boys  started 
on  their  return  journey.  The  trip  was  made 
as  far  as  Obispo  without  special  incident. 
Here  a  halt  was  made  and  the  train  shifted 
to  a  side-track.  Mr.  Andrews  was  obliged  to 
inspect  the  site  of  a  proposed  dam  near 
Alhajuela.  This  was  about  ten  miles  north- 
west of  Obispo,  and  the  journey  would  have 
to   be    made  by  a  boat  and   on   foot. 

It  was  too  far  to  go  that  day,  so  Vasco  sug- 
gested that  they  go  to  Palo  Grande  and  hunt 
up  his  uncle,  Francisco  Herreras.  "  I  am 
sure,"  said  the  boy,  "  that  he  will  give  us  all  a 
hearty  welcome  and  be  glad  to  provide  shelter 
and  food  for  us." 


Up  the  Chagres  River        103 

"  Let's  go  there,"  said  Harlan  to  his  father. 
"  It  will  be  lots  more  fun  than  staying  here 
to-night.  It  will  give  us  more  chance  to  see 
the  country,  too." 

Vasco's  suggestion  was  favourably  received 
by  Mr.  Andrews,  who  proceeded  at  once  to 
carry  the  plan  into  effect. 

On  going  to  the  nearest  river  landing-place 
to  see  if  he  could  find  a  boat  and  men  to 
row  them  up-stream,  he  met  with  unexpected 
good  fortune.  Two  natives,  who  had  come 
down  to  Obispo  with  a  boat-load  of  bananas, 
were  just  ready  to  return,  and  were  glad  to 
earn  an  extra  sum  by  taking  along  three  pas- 
sengers. 

The  boat  in  which  passage  was  secured  was 
a  large  flat-bottomed  affair,  suitable  for  navi- 
gation of  the  shallow  stream.  On  the  way  up 
many  similar  boats  were  seen,  also  rude  canoes 
propelled  by  single  persons. 

Vasco  and  Harlan,  full  of  curiosity  as  boys 


I04    Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

always  are,  were  soon  on  familiar  terms  with 
the  boatmen,  who  told  them  that  in  former 
times  many  of  the  canoes  were  hollowed  out 
of  the  trunks  of  cottonwood-trees. 

The  boys  learned,  too,  that  the  Panama 
native  Indian  is  a  natural  sportsman.  Parrots, 
monkeys,  pigeons,  and  small  deer  are  his 
favourite  game.  His  life  is  a  very  simple  one. 
Nature  provides  him  with  bread  in  the  shape 
of  bananas  and  plantains.  He  makes  his 
own  pottery  from  the  clay  beneath  his  feet, 
and  in  place  of  knives  and  spoons  uses 
gourds   cut   into   proper  shape. 

He  sleeps  in  a  hammock  or  on  a  couch  of 
bamboo  with  hides  thrown  over  it.  The  ham- 
mocks are  woven  by  the  women. 

All  the  time  the  boat  was  making  good 
progress,  and  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon arrived  at  Palo  Grande.  On  inquiry, 
it  was  learned  that  Sefior  Herreras  lived 
about  two  miles  west  of  the  river,  and  after 


Up  the  Chagres  River        105 

securing  definite  directions  as  to  the  route 
our  friends  started  to  walk  to  the  plantation. 

To  Vasco,  as  well  as  to  Harlan,  the  sights 
along  the  way  were  of  special  interest,  for  he 
knew  nothing  of  country  life.  The  growing 
corn,  tobacco,  indigo,  coffee,  vanilla  beans, 
and  other  products  of  the  country  were  a 
source  of  wonder  to  him.  Even  Mr.  An- 
drews could  well  beHeve,  with  a  former  visitor 
to  Panama,  that  "  here  it  would  puzzle  a 
healthy  man  to  die  of  hunger." 

In  less  than  an  hour  Senor  Herreras's  plan- 
tation was  reached.  It  was  now  Vasco's  turn 
to  serve  as  guide  and  leader  of  the  party. 
Finding  his  uncle  at  home,  he  introduced  him 
to  his  friends,  and  told  him  of  their  desire  for 
food  and  lodging. 

"  It  is  with  great  pleasure  I  welcome  you  all 
to  my  humble  home,"  said  the  senor.  "Will 
ydu  kindly  follow  me  within  that  you  may 
rest  after  your  long  walk,  and  I  will  see  that 


io6  Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

food  is  served  to  you  at  once.  It  is  about  our 
supper-hour,  any  way. 

"And  how  is  my  sister,  your  mother  ? "  Senor 
Herreras  continued,  addressing  Vasco.  "  It 
has  been  many  a  long  year  since  I  have  seen 
her." 

"  She  is  very  well  indeed,  uncle,  and  it  is 
because  she  told  me  of  you  that  I  am  here 
with  these  friends.  She  said  you  would  be 
sure  to  give  us  a  royal  welcome." 

"And  glad  I  am  you  took  her  advice.  I 
only  wish  she  were  with  you.  Sometime  I 
hope  I  may  get  down  to  the  great  city  to  see 
her." 

Meanwhile,  all  had  stepped  within  the  house. 
The  visitors  were  given  an  opportunity  to 
remove  the  travel-stains,  and  by  the  time 
this  had  been  done  they  were  ready  for  the 
food  which  was  set  before  them. 

Vasco  was  specially  glad  to  find  that  here 
were  two  cousins  of  about  his  own  age,  Jago 


Up  the  Chagres  River        107 

and  Alfeo,  and  before  long  the  four  boys  were 
very  well  acquainted  with  each  other. 

The  meal  ended,  Vasco's  uncle  inquired  of 
Mr.  Andrews  as  to  his  plans  for  the  next  day. 

"  I  intend  to  go  on  up  the  river  to  Alha- 
juela,  where  I  have  some  business  in  connection 
with  the  canal  work." 

"  Did  you  expect  to  take  the  boys  with 
you  ? " 

"  That  was  my  plan." 

"  Well,  why  not  let  them  stay  here  until  you 
return.  I  will  agree  to  take  good  care  of  them, 
and  my  boys  will  show  them  all  about  this 
place.  I  am  sure  they  would  all  have  a  fine 
time  —  perhaps  better  than  if  they  went  with 
you,  for  boys  love  boy  company." 

"You  may  be  right,"  said  Mr.  Andrews, 
"  and  I  think  I  will  accept  your  generous 
invitation  on  behalf  of  the  boys.  This  is 
Wednesday,  and  I  shall  probably  get  back 
here    Friday." 


io8   Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"Very  well,  then,  we  will  consider  that 
settled/'  said  the  host. 

Early  the  next  morning  Mr.  Andrews 
resumed  his  journey,  Vasco's  uncle  providing 
a  horse  and  accompanying  him  as  far  as  the 
river. 

Thus  the  four  lads  were  left  to  their  own 
devices. 

"  Let's  take  the  boys  down  to  the  sugar-mill 
first,"  said  Alfeo  to  his  brother. 

"  That's  a  good  idea,"  was  Jago's  reply, 
and  Vasco  and  Harlan  readily  fell  in  with  the 
suggestion. 

Vasco's  uncle  raised  much  sugar-cane  on 
his  plantation,  and  in  this  mill  he  also  did 
grinding  for  neighbours  who  were  less  for- 
tunate and  were  unable  to  possess  mills  of 
their  own. 

Harlan  found  that  the  "  mill "  was  not  at 
all  like  what  he  imagined,  and  he  regarded  it 
as  rather  a  small   affair,  but    Vasco    was  im- 


Up  the  Chagres  River        log 

mensely  impressed  with  the  wonderful  work 
it  performed. 

It  consisted  of  three  upright  cylinders  of 
very  hard  wood,  two  of  them  about  five  feet 
long  and  one  in  the  centre  two  feet  higher. 
They  were  set  close  to  each  other,  and  a  crude 
cog-wheel  made  the  three  revolve  together. 

An  arm  from  the  top  of  the  central  cylinder 
extended  outward  about  fifteen  feet.  To  this 
oxen  were  attached.  Round  and  round  in  a 
circle  the  animals  walked,  and  as  they  did  so 
the  machinery  revolved.  The  stalks  of  cane 
were  fed  between  the  cylinders,  and  the  heavy 
pressure  squeezed  out  the  juice,  which  fell  into 
a  large  tub  below. 

Near  by  the  boys  saw  the  juice  boiled.  A 
great  iron  kettle  was  set  in  rough  stone  ma- 
sonry, and  dried  cane  was  used  for  fuel.  The 
boiling  process  was  watched  by  an  old  woman, 
who  was  constantly  dipping  up  the  syrup  with 
a  long-handled  gourd  dipper. 


no    Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Vasco  and  Harlan  were  each  given  a  drink 
of  the  partially  boiled  cane-juice,  which  they 
found  very  pleasant  to  the  taste. 

"  After  the  boiling  is  completed,"  the  old 
woman  told  them,  "  the  sugar  is  run  into 
wooden  moulds  and  then  wrapped  in  plantain 
leaves,  when  it  is  ready  for  the  market." 

Harlan  and  Vasco  were  next  taken  to  visit 
an  aged  woman  who  in  years  gone  by  had 
been  a  cook  in  Senor  Herreras's  father's 
household.  This  woman  was  said  to  be 
nearly  a  century  old,  and  could  tell  the  boys 
much  of  the  ancient  customs  and  habits  of 
Panama. 

The  house  in  which  she  lived  was  like 
many  of  the  native  huts.  It  was  very  simply 
built.  Four  trees  about  six  inches  in  diameter 
had  been  cut  down,  the  branches  lopped  off, 
and  a  Y-shaped  fork  left  at  the  tops.  These 
four  trees  were  set  deep  into  the  earth  as 
corner  posts.     Side  pieces  were  lashed  on  top 


A    NATIVE   VILLAGE 


up  the  Chagres  River        in 

with  withes.  The  roof  was  made  of  small 
saplings  thatched  with  native  grasses,  bunches 
of  which  overlapped  each  other  like  shingles. 

In  this  particular  hut  there  were  two  rooms, 
and  an  attic  overhead,  though  many  houses 
have  no  upper  room.  The  sides  of  the  hut 
were  made  of  plaited  split  bamboo,  and  the 
chinks  were  filled  with  mud. 

The  old  woman  always  welcomed  the  visits 
of  Jago  and  Alfeo,  and  she  was  also  glad  to 
see  the  two  young  strangers.  They  found  it 
easy  to  enter  into  conversation  with  her. 
She  told  how  the  Indians  in  her  youthful 
days  used  to  adorn  their  bodies  with  figures 
of  birds,  beasts,  and  trees.  The  women  did 
the  painting  and  took  great  delight  in  it. 
The  men  also  wore  a  crescent-shaped  metal 
plate  over  the  lip,  attached  to  the  nose,  and 
the  women  wore  a  ring  in  the  same  manner. 

"  What  were  the  rings  made  of  ? "  asked 
Vasco. 


112    Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

'^  Sometimes  of  gold,  but  more  often  of 
silver  or  of  some  cheaper  metal,"  replied  the 
woman.  "  Chains  of  animals*  teeth  and  shell 
were  also  common. 

"  You  would  have  laughed  to  see  how  the  men 
used  to  smoke  tobacco,"  continued  the  old 
woman.  "  Instead  of  a  cigar,  or  even  a  pipe, 
long  strips  of  tobacco  leaf  were  wound  into  a 
roll  two  or  three  feet  long  and  as  large  as  your 
wrist. 

"  A  boy  would  light  one  end  of  the  roll  and 
burn  it  to  a  coal,  wetting  the  leaf  next  the  fire 
to  keep  it  from  wasting  too  fast.  The  lighted 
end  he  put  in  his  mouth  and  blew  smoke 
through  the  roll  into  the  face  of  each  man 
in  the  company,  no  matter  how  many  of  them. 
Then  they,  sitting  down  as  usual,  with  their 
hands  made  a  kind  of  funnel  around  their 
mouths  and  noses.  Into  this  they  received 
the  smoke  as  it  was  blown  upon  them,  snuffing 
it  greedily  and  strongly  as  long  as  they  could 


up  the  Chagres  River        113 

hold  their  breath.  It  seemed  to  give  them 
great  pleasure." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  have  liked  the 
boy's  task,"  said  Vasco. 

"  Did  the  boys  go  hunting  when  you  were 
young  ?  "  asked  Alfeo. 

"  Oh,  yes.  They  did  not  have  guns  for 
weapons,  but  used  bows  and  arrows.  They 
could  shoot  very  straight  with  them,  too. 
Just  wait  a  moment  and  I  will  prove  that  to 
you." 

The  old  woman  hobbled  to  a  chest  in  the 
corner  of  the  room  and  took  therefrom  an  old 
bamboo  cane. 

"  Do  you  see  the  cleft  in  the  end  of  that 
cane  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Yes,  I  do,"  answered  Alfeo. 

"  Well,  that  was  split  by  an  arrow  shot  at 
twenty  paces  by  my  oldest  brother  when  he 
was  only  eight  years  old." 

The  boys  now  took  leave  of  the  old  woman, 


114  Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

and  the  rest  of  the  day  they  spent  visiting 
various  points  of  interest  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
plantation.  They  also  fished  and  went  in 
swimming  in  a  small  stream  which  flowed  near 
by  and  emptied  into  the  Chagres. 

At  nightfall,  four  tired  but  happy  boys  were 
glad  to  get  an  early  supper  and  seek  the  rest 
which   a  day   of  unusual   activity    demanded. 

The  next  day,  according  to  his  plan,  Mr. 
Andrews  returned  and  remained  overnight 
with  Vasco's  hospitable  uncle. 

Early  Saturday  morning,  amid  profuse  ex- 
pressions of  regret  at  their  departure  and  with 
invitations  to  come  again,  the  travellers  took  up 
their  journey  homeward.  This  was  made 
without  special  incident  and  was  completed  in 
safety. 


CHAPTER  XL 


NEW    AMBITION 


"  Did  you  have  a  good  time  on  your  trip 
with  Harlan  and  his  father  ?  "  asked  Lieutenant 
Barretas  of  Vasco. 

"  To  be  sure  I  did,"  was  the  answer.  "  I 
am  not  likely  ever  to  forget  the  sights  I  have 
seen  in  this  journey  through  our  country." 

"  I  hope  you  thanked  your  American  friends 
for  the  pleasure  you  have  enjoyed." 

"  I  did,  father." 

"  Our  people  are  much  indebted  to  the 
Americans  for  the  prosperity  into  which  we 
have  come.  I  have  some  more  good  news  to 
tell  you  now." 

"  What  is  it  ? "  asked  Vasco,  his  face  aglow 
with  eager  anticipation. 

ITS 


ii6  Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

"  To-morrow  a  public  school  Is  to  be  opened, 
and  I  have  decided  that  you  shall  attend." 

This  conversation  occurred  on  Sunday,  the 
day  after  Vasco's  arrival  home.  The  lieuten- 
ant was  making  his  usual  Sunday  visit  with  his 
family,  though  he  had  come  a  little  late  on 
account  of  army  affairs  that  had  called  him 
to  the  Blue  House  —  the  President's  mansion. 
It  was  there  that  he  had  learned  about  the 
school. 

Vasco  received  the  information  with  a  doubt- 
ful smile.  A  few  weeks  before  he  would  have 
been  sad  to  hear  such  a  suggestion.  But  his 
acquaintance  with  Harlan,  and  especially  the 
close  companionship  of  the  past  week,  had 
wrought  certain  changes  in  his  spirit,  and  a 
dawning  ambition  had  begun  to  arise  within 
him. 

He  had  come  to  see  that  there  was  a  world 
different  from  that  in  which  he  had  lived, — 
that  his  friend  Harlan  was  of  that  world,  —  and 


New  Ambition  117 

that  the  key  to  that  world  was  knowledge. 
And  knowledge,  he  knew,  could  be  obtained 
only  by  hard  labour.  Was  it  worth  the 
effort? 

That  was  the  question  Vasco  asked  himself 
as  he  stood  before  his  father. 

To  his  credit  be  it  said  that  his  answer  was 
the  right  one. 

"  I  am  glad  of  the  chance,"  at  last  he  told 
his  father.  "  You  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  try 
to  make  the  best  of  it." 

Let  it  be  said  here  that  this  opportunity  to 
go  to  school  was  a  result  of  the  formation  of 
the  new  republic  of  Panama.  One  of  the 
provisions  of  its  constitution  is :  "  Primary 
instruction  shall  be  compulsory,  and,  when 
public,  shall  be  free.  There  shall  also  be 
schools  of  arts  and  trades." 

Monday  morning  Vasco  and  his  sister  Inez 
together  started  for  school.  To  them,  thus 
far,  the    institution    was    but    a    name,   vague 


ii8     Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

in    its    meaning,    but    full    of   great    possibil- 
ities. 

May  we  not  well  leave  our  little  Panama 
cousin  right  here,  as  he  stands  on  the  thresh- 
old of  a  new  life,  under  the  folds  of  a  new 
flag,  with  a  new  ambition  and  an  earnest  pur- 
pose spurring  him  on  to  attain  to  a  higher  and 
better  life  than  he  has  ever  known  ? 


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New  plates,  handsomely  illustrated  with  eight  full-page 
drawings  in  color,  and  many  marginal  sketches. 

IN  THE  DESERT  OF  WAITING:  The  Legend  op 

Camelback  Mountain. 

THE  THREE  WEAVERS:  A  Fairy  Tale  for 
Fathers  and  Mothers  as  Well  as  for  Their 
Daughters. 

KEEPING  TRYST 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  BLEEDING  HEART 

THE  RESCUE  OF  PRINCESS  WINSOME:     A 

Fairy  Play  for  Old  and  Young. 

THE  JESTER'S  SWORD 

Each  one  volimie,  tall  16mo,  cloth  decorative  .      $0.50 

Paper  boards .35 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  for  publication  in 
separate  form  of  these  six  stories,  which  were  originally 
included  in  six  of  the  "  Little  Colonel  "  books. 

JOEL :    A  BOY  OF  GALILEE :  By  Annie  Fellows 
Johnston.     Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 
New  illustrated  edition,  uniform  with  the  Little  Colonel 
Books,  1  vol.,  large  12mo,  cloth  decorative       .      $1.50 
A  story  of  the  time  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the  author'a 

best-known  books. 

A— 2 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  GOOD  TIMES  BOOK 

uniform  in  size  with  the  Little  Colonel  Series.         $1.50 
Bound  in  white  kid  (morocco)  and  gold       .        .        3.00 
Cover  design  and  decorations  by  Amy  Carol  Rand. 
The  publishers  have  had  many  inquiries  from  readers 
of  the  Little  Colonel  books  as  to  where  they  could  obtain 
a  "  Good  Times  Book  "  such  as  Betty  kept.    Mrs.  Johns- 
ton, who  has  for  years  kept  such  a  book  herself,  has  gone 
enthusiastically  into  the  matter  of  the  material  and  format 
for  a  similar  book  for  her  young  readers.     Every  girl  will 
want  to  possess  a  "  Good  Times  Book." 
ASA  HOLMES:  Or,  At  the  Cross-Roads.    A  sketch 
of   Country   Life   and   Coimtry  Humor.     By  Annie 
Fellows  Johnston. 
With  a  frontispiece  by  Ernest  Fosbery. 

Large  16mo,  cloth,  gilt  top $1.00 

"  '  Asa  Holmes;    or,  At  the  Cross-Roads  '  is  the  most 
delightful,  most  sympathetic  and  wholesome  book  that 
has  been  published  in  a  long  while."  —  Boston  Times. 
THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS:  Or,  The  Adventures  op 
Henry  Burns.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 
Squ&re  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
A  story  of  a  party  of  typical  American  lads,  courageous, 
slert,  and  athletic,  who  spend  a  summer  camping  on  an 
island  off  the  Maine  coast. 

THE    RIVAL   CAMPERS    AFLOAT:       Or,  The 
Prize  Yacht  Viking.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
This  book  is  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of  "  The 
Rival  Campers  "  on  their  prize  yacht  Viking-. 
THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS  ASHORE 
By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 

"  As  interesting  ashore  as  when  afloa,t."  —  The  Interior.. 

JACK    HARVEY'S    ADVENTURES:      Or,   The 

Rival  Campers  Among  the  Oyster  Pirates.     By 

Ruel  Perley  Smith.    Illustrated  .        .      $1.50 

"  Just  the  type  of  book  which  is  most  popular  with  lads 

who  are  in  their  early  teens."  —  The  PhUadelpbia  Item. 

A— 3 


Z.  C,  PAGE  6^  COMPAJ^yS 


PRISONERS  OF  FORTUNE:     A  Tale  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay  Colony.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 
Cloth  decorative,  with  a  colored  frontispiece     .      $1.50 
"  There  is  an  atmosphere  of  old  New  England  in  the 
book,  the  '"umor  of  the  bom  raconteur  about  the  hero, 
who  tells  his  story  with  the  gravity  of  a  preacher,  but  wita 
a  solemn  humor  that  is  irresistible."  —  Courier- Journal. 

FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS.   By  Charles  H. 

L.  Johnston. 

Large  12mo.     With  24  illustrations     .       .        .      $1.50 

Biographical  sketches,  with  interesting  anecdotes  and 
reminiscences  of  the  heroes  of  history  who  were  leaders 
of  cavalry. 

"  More  of  such  books  should  be  written,  books  that 
acquaint  young  readers  with  historical  personages  in  a 
pleasant  informal  way."  —  N.  Y.  Sun. 

FAMOUS  mDLAN  CHIEFS.       By  Charles  H.  L- 
Johnston. 

Large  12mo,  illustrated  .  ...      $1,50 

In  this  book  Mr.  Johnston  gives  interesting  sketches  of 
the  Indian  braves  who  have  figured  with  prominence  in 
the  history  of  our  own  land,  including  Powhatan,  the 
Indian  Caesar;  Massasoit,  the  friend  of  the  Puritans; 
Pontiac,  the  red  Napoleon;  Tecumseh,  the  famous  war 
chief  of  the  ShaT\Tiees;  Sitting  Bull,  the  famous  war  chief 
of  the  Sioux;  Geronimo,  the  renowned  Apache  Chief,  etc., 
etc. 

BILLY'S  PRmCESS.    By  Helen  Eggleston  Has- 
kell. 
Cloth    decorative,    illustrated    by    Helen    McCormick 

Kennedy  ^ $1.25 

Billy  Lewis  was  a  small  boy  oi  energy  and  ambition,  so 

when  he  was  left  alone  and  unprotected,  he  simply  started 

out  to  take  care  of  himself. 

TENANTS     OF     THE     TREES.      By    Clarence 

Hawkes. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  in  colors         ,        .      $1.50 
*'  A  book  which  will  appeal  to  all  who  care  for  the 
hearty,  healthy,  outdoor  life  of  the  country.    Th»*  illus- 
trations are  particularly  attractive."  —  Boston  hstsML. 
A-4 


'BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


BEAUTIFaL  JOE»S  PARADISE:  0R,THBl5i^D 
OF  Brotherly  Love.     A  sequel  to  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
By  Marshall  Saunders,  author  of  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
One  vol.,  library  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated  .        .      $1.50 
"  This  book  revives  the  spirit  of  '  Beautiful  Joe '  capi- 
tally.   It  is  fairly  riotous  with  fun,  and  is  about  as  unusual 
as  anything  in  the  animal  book  line  that  has  seen  the  light." 
—  Philadelphia  Item. 


'TILDA  JANE.     Ey  Marshall  Saunders. 
One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
"  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  book  for  children  than 

this.     I  commend  it  unreservedly."  —  Cyrus  Tovmsend 

Brady. 

'TILDA  JAIME'S  ORPHANS.     A  sequel  to  'Tilda 
Jane.    By  Marshall  Saunders. 

One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
*Tilda  Jane  is  the  same  original,  delightful  girl,  and  as 

fond  of  her  animal  pets  as  ever. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  GRAVELEYS.     By  Mar- 
shall  Saunders,   author  of   "  Beautiful  Joe's  Para- 
dise," "  'Tilda  Jane,"  etc. 
Library  12mo,  cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  E.  B. 

Barry $1.50 

Here  we  have  the  haps  and  mishaps,  the  trials  and 
triimiphs,  of  a  delightful  New  England  family,  of  whose 
devotion  and  sturdiness  it  will  do  the  reader  good  to  hear. 

BORN  TO  THE  BLUE.     By    Florence    Kimball 

RUSSEL. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  $1.25 
The  atmosphere  of  army  life  on  the  plains  breathes  on 
every  page  of  this  delightful  tale.  The  boy  is  the  son  of  a 
captain  of  U.  S.  cavalry  stationed  at  a  frontier  post  in  the 
days  when  our  regulars  earned  the  gratitude  of  a  nation. 
▲—5 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY*S 


IN  WEST  POINT  GRAY 

By  Florence  Kimball  RusseL. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  $1.60 
"  Singularly  enough  one  of  the  best  books  of  -he  year 
for  boys  is  written  by  a  woman  and  deals  with  lift  at  West 
Point.  The  presentment  of  hfe  in  the  famous  military- 
academy  whence  so  many  heroes  have  graduated  is  realistic 
and  enjoyable."  —  New  York  Sun. 

FROM  CHEVRONS  TO  SHOULDER  STRAPS 

By  Florence  Kimeall  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  decorative     .        .        .      $1.50 

West  Point  again  forms  the  background  of  a  new  volume 

in  this  popular  series,  and  relates  the  experience  of  Jack 

Stirling  during  his  junior  and  senior  years. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins.    With  fifty  illustrations  by 

Ada  Clendenin  Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover      .       .       .       .      $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:  MORE  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

fiuch.approval  that  this  second  book  of  '*  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.^    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SHIP  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 
His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 
"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  ajgain."  — 
Chicago  Evening  Post, 

A— 0 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 

THE  SANDMAIi,  HIS  SEA  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 

Each  year  adds  to  the  popularity  of  this  unique  series 

of  stories  to  be  read  to  the  little  ones  at  bed  time  and  at 

other  times. 

THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE  GIRL 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart,  author  of    "  Pussy-Cat 

Town,"  etc. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  thoroughly  enjoyable  tale  of  a  little  girl;and  her  com- 
rade father,  written  in  a  delightful  vein  of  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  the  child's  point  of  view. 

SWEET  NANCY 

The  Further  Adventures  of  the  Doctor's  Littlb 

Girl.    By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

One  vol.,  library,  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1,50 

In  the  new  book,  the  author  tells  how  Nancy  becomes 
in  fact  "  the  doctor's  assistant,"  andcontinues  to  shed 
happiness  around  her. 

THE  CHRISTMAS-MAKERS*  CLUB 

By  Edith  A.  Sawyer. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  delightful  story  for  girls,  full  of  the  real  spirit  of 

Christmas.     It  abounds  in  merrymaking  and  the  right 

kind  of  fun. 

CARLOTA 

A  Story  op  the  San  Gabriel  Mission.  By  Frances 
Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway  .  .  .  .  $1.00 
"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  recommend  this  little  story  as  an 

entertaining  contribution  to  juvenile  literature."  —  T}ie 

New  York  Sun. 

THE  SEVEN  CHRISTMAS  CANDLES 

By  Frances  Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway  $1.00 
Miss  Fox's  new  book  deals  with  the  fortimes  of  the  de- 
lightful Mulvaney  children. 
A— 7 


L.  C.  PAGE  <5r*  COMPANY'S 


PUSSY-CAT  TOWN 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco^ 

rated  in  colors $1,00 

"  Anything  more  interesting  than  the  doings  of  the  cats 
in  this  story,  their  humor,  their  wisdom,  their  patriotism, 
would  be  hard  to  imagine."  —  Chicago  P^st. 

THE  ROSES  OF  SAINT  ELIZABETH 

By  Jane  Scott  Woodruff. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart  ....  S3 .00 
This  is  a  charming  little  story  of  a  child  whose  father  was 

caretaker  of  the  great  castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where  Saint 

Elizabeth  once  had  her  home. 

GABRIEL  AND  THE  HOUR  BOOK 

By  EvALEEN  Stein. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .        .        .    $1.00 
Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who 
assisted  the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 

THE  ENCHANTED  AUTOMOBILE 

Translated  from  the  French  by  Mary  J.  Safford 
Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Edna  M.  Sawyer  .      $1.00 
**  An  up-to-date  French  fairy-tale  which  fairly  radiates 

the  spirit  of  the  hour,  —  unceasing  diligence."  —  Chicago 

Kecord-Herald. 

0-HEART-SAN 

The  Story  of  a  Japanese  Girl.  By  Helen  Egglbs- 
ton  Haskell. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Frank  P.  Fairbanks  .  .  $1.00 
"  The  story  comes  straight  from  the  heart  of  Japan. 
The  shadow  of  Fujiyama  lies  across  it  and  from  every 
page  breathes  the  fragrance  of  tea  leaves,  cherry  blossoms 
and  chrysanthemums."  —  '^Sq  Chicago  Inter-Ocean, 
A-8 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  YOUNG  SECTION-HAND:  Or,  The  Advent 
TUBES  OF  Allan  West.    [By  Burton  E.  Stevenson. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  ia 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrilling. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.  By  Bur- 
ton Eo  Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 
"  A  better  book  for  boys  has  never  left  an  American 

press."  —  Syringjield  Union. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  MASTER.     By  Burton  E. 

Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth   decorative,  illustrated       .     $1.50 
"  Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a  book  of  adventure  for 
boys  in  which  the  actualities  of  life  are  set  forth  in  a  practi- 
cal way  could  be  devised  or  written."  —  Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER.  By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  $1.50 
Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  highr 

Bchool  boy. 

JACK  LORIMER»S  CHAMPIONS:  Or,  Sports  on 
Land  and  Lake.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
"  It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  ;^ive  a  boy  interested 

in  athletics,  for  it  shows  him  whatii  means  to  always 

*  play  fair.'  "  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  HOLIDAYS:  Or,  Millvale 
High  in  Camp.   By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated SI. 50 

Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fim,  sports  and  adventure  to 

excite  the  healthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 

JACK  LORIMER»S  SUBSTITUTE :  Or,  The  Act- 
INQ  Captain  of  the  Team.     By  Winn  Standish. 

lUustrated $1.50 

On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, tobogganing,  but  it  is  more  of  a  school  <itory  perhaps 
than  any  of  its  predecessors* 


L.  C.  PAGE  &-  COMPANY'S 


CAPTAIN  JINKS :   The  Autobiography  of  a  Shet- 
land Pont.      By  Frajstces  Hodges  White. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .      $1.50 

The  story  of  Captain  Jinks  and  his  faithful  dog  friend 
Billy,  their  quaint  conversations  and  their  exciting 
adventures,  will  be  eagerly  read  by  thousands  of  boys  and 
girls.  The  story  is  beautifully  written  and  will  take  its 
place  alongside  of  "  Black  Beauty  "  and  "  Beautiful  Joe." 

THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  Theodore  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .      $1.50 

"  The  Red  Feathers  "  tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 

of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 

ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING   PLOVER.     By  Theodoke  Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull $1.00 

_  Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  ''  Flying  Plover,"  to  whom 

she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

THE  WRECK   OF  THE  OCEAN  QUEEN.    By 

James  Otis,  author  of  "  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  etc. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .      $1.50 

"  A  stirring  story  of  wreck  and  mutiny,  which  boys  will 
jBnd  especially  absorbing.  The  many  young  admirers  of 
James  Otis  will  not  let  this  book  escape  them,  for  it  fully 
equals  its  many  predecessors  in  excitement  and  sustained 
interest."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE  WHITE   INDIANS.      By  Fannie  E.  Os- 

TRANDER. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....      $1.25 

"  A  bright,  interesting  story  which  will  appeal  strongly 

to   the     '  make-believe '     instinct   in   children,    and   will 

give  them  a  healthy,  active  interest  in  'the  simple  life."' 

MARCHING  WITH  MORGAN.  How  Donald 
LovELL  Became  a  Soldier  of  the  Revolution. 
By  John  L.  Veasy. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .  _  ^  $1.50 

This  is  a  splendid  boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of 

Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec. 

A— 10 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 

COSY  CORNER  SERIES 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  that  this  series  shall 
contain  only  the  very  highest  and  purest  literature,  — 
stories  that  shall  not  only  appeal  to  the  children  them- 
selves, but  be  appreciated  by  all  those  who  feel  with 
them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  each  book  are  by  well- 
known  artists,  and  each  volume  has  a  separate  attract- 
ive cover  design. 

Each  1  vol.,  16mo,  cloth $0.50 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 

THE   LITTLE   COLONEL      (Trade  Mark.) 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Kentucky.  Its  hero- 
ine is  a  small  girl,  who  is  known  as  the  Little  Colonel, 
on  accoimt  of  her  fancied  resemblance  to  an  old-school 
Southern  gentleman,  whose  fine  estate  and  old  family 
are  famous  in  the  region. 

THE  GIANT  SCISSORS 

This  is  the  story  of  Joyce  and  of  her  adventures  in 
France.  Joyce  is  a  great  friend  of  the  Little  Colonel, 
and  in  later  volumes  shares  with  her  the  delightful  ex- 
periences of  the  ''  House  Party"  and  the  "  Holidays." 

TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY 

Who  Were  the  Little  Colonel's  Neighbors. 

In  this  volume  the  Little  Colonel  returns  to  us  like  an 
old  friend,  but  with  added  grace  and  charm.  She  is  not, 
however,  the  central  figure  of  the  story,  that  place  being 
taken  by  the  ''  two  little  knights." 

MILDRED'S  INHERITANCE 

A  delightful  little  story  of  a  lonely  English  girl  who 
comes  to  America  and  is  befriended  by  a  sympathetic 
American  family  who  are  attracted  by  her  beautiful 
speaking  voice.  By  means  of  this  one  gift  she  is  en- 
abled to  help  a  school-girl  who  has  temporarily  lost  the 
use  of  her  eyes,  and  thus  finally  her  life  becomes  a  buey^ 
happy  one. 
A— 11 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  EDITH  ROBINSON 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN'S  FIRST  CHRISTMAS 

A  story  of  Colonial  times  in  Boston,  telling  how  Christ- 
mas was  invented  by  Betty  Sewall,  a  typical  child  of  the 
Puritans,  aided  by  her  brother  Sam. 

A  LITTLE  DAUGHTER  OF  LIBERTY 

The  author  introduces  this  story  as  follows: 
"  One  ride  is  memorable  in  the  early  history  of  the 
American  Revolution,  the  well-known  ride  of  Paul 
Revere.  Equally  deserving  of  commendation  is  another 
ride,  —  the  ride  of  Anthony  Severn,  —  which  was  no  leea 
historic  in  its  action  or  memorable  in  its  consequences." 

A  LOYAL  LITTLE  MAID 

A  delightful  and  interesting  story  of  Revolutionary 
days,  in  which  the  child  heroine,  Betsey  Schuyler,  renders 
important  services  to  George  Washington. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  REBEL 

This  is  an  historical  tale  of  a  real  girl,  during  the  time 
when  the  gallant  Sir  Harry  Vane  was  governor  of  Maesa- 
chusetts. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  PIONEER 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  the  Puritan  settlement 
at  Charlestown. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  BOUND  GIRL 

A  story  of  Boston  in  Puritan  days,  which  is  of  great 
interest  to  youthful  readers. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  CAVALIER 

The  story  of  a  "  Little  Puritan  Cavalier  "  who  tried 
with  all  his  boyish  enthusiasm  to  emulate  the  spirit  and 
ideals  of  the  dead  Crusaders. 

A  PURITAN  KNIGHT  ERRANT 

The  story  tells  of  a  young  lad  in  Colonial  times  who 
endeavored  to  carry  out  the  high  ideals  of  the  knigUt* 
of  olden  days, 
A— 13 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &^  COMPANY'S 


By  OUIDA  (Louise  de  la  Ramee) 

A  DOG  OF  FLANDERS 

A  Christmas  Story 

Too  well  and  favorably  known  to  require  description. 

THE  NURNBERG  STOVE 

This  beautiful  story  has  never  before  been  published 
at  a  popular  price. 

By  FRANCES  MARGARET  FOX 

THE  LITTLE  GIANT'S  NEIGHBOURS 

A  charming  nature  story  of  a  "  little  giant  "  whose 
neighbors  were  the  creatures  of  the  field  and  garden. 

FARMER  BROWN  AND  THE  BIRDS 

A  little  story  which  teaches  children  that  the  birds  are 
man's  best  friends. 

BETTY  OF  OLD  MACKINAW 

A  charming  story  of  child  life. 

BROTHER  BILLY 

The  story  of  Betty's  brother,  and  some  further  adven- 
tures of  Betty  herself. 

MOTHER  NATURE'S  LITTLE  ONES 

Curious  little  sketches  d  scribing  the  early  lifetime,  or 
*'  childhood,"  of  the  Httle  creatures  out-of-doors. 

HOW    CHRISTMAS    CAME    TO    THE    MUL- 
VANEYS 

A  bright,  lifelike  little  story  of  a  family  of  poor  children 
with  an  unlimited  capacity  for  fun  and  mischief. 

THE  COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS 

Miss  Fox  has  vividly  described  the  happy  surprises  that 
made  the  occasion  so  memorable  to  the  Mulvaneys,^  and 
the  funny  things  the  children  did  in  their  new  environ- 
ment. 
A— 14 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


ByMISSMULOCK 

THE  LITTLE  LAME  PRINCE 

A  delightful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  has  many  ad- 
ventures by  means  of  the  magic  gifts  of  his  fairy  god- 
mother. 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  BROWNIE 

The  story  of  a  household  elf  who  torments  the  cook 
and  gardener,  but  is  a  constant  joy  and  delight  to  the 
children  who  love  and  trust  him. 

HIS  LITTLE  MOTHER 

Miss  Mulock's  short  stories  for  children  are  a  constant 
source  of  delight  to  them,  and  "  His  Little  Mother,"  in 
this  new  and  attractive  dress,  will  be  welcomed  by  hosts 
of  youthful  readers. 

LITTLE  SUNSHINE'S  HOLIDAY 

An  attractive  story  of  a  summer  outing.  "  Little  Sun- 
Jshine  "*  is  another  of  those  beautiful  child-characters  for 
which  Miss  Mulock  is  so  justly  famous. 

By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS 

FOR  HIS  COUNTRY 

A  sweet  and  graceful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  loved 
his  country;  Written  with  that  charm  which  has  endeared 
Miss  Saunders  to  hosts  of  readers. 

NITA,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  IRISH  SETTER 

In  this  touching  little  book,  Miss  Saunders  shows  how 
dear  to  her  heart  are  all  of  God's  dumb  creatures. 

ALPATOK,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  ESKIMO  DOG 

Alpatok,  an  Eskimo  dog  from  the  far  north,  was  stolen 
from  his  master  and  left  to  starve  in  a  strange  city,  but 
was  befriended  and  cared  for,  until  he  was  able  to  returt! 
to  his  owner. 
A  — 15 


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O'^HABE 


MAUKi 


